2. Chapter 2: Even a Bit Later Than That

A/N: Here we go, the first full chapter...yea!... As usual Harry and Hermione have their normal thought colors, but of course I didn't leave it there. Emilia and Xander have their own as well for reasons that will be pretty obvious. I still own nothing of consequence really. Lady Starlight has once again graciously corrected my inherent insanity, at least as much as humanly possible. So here we go, let's play.
Chapter 1: Even a bit later than that.

*******************Godric's Hollow*************************

July 1, 2015
1:30 am

Crookshanks looked up from the couch as the air in front of him shimmered slightly and his mistress appeared from out of nowhere. He stood, walking along the top of the couch until he could rub against her hand. She smiled and dropped her face to his fur, rubbing his sides, before she kissed his small, furry head, and stood. She paced over to an end table set against the wall next to the door and emptied her pockets, dropping a small folding mirror, a compact potions kit, a large folding knife, a small money bag and a folded wad of Muggle money on the table, where the gear mixed with another pile, of similar composition. She reached under her shirt, pulling out a black badge on a chain, and pulled it over her head, dropping it next to the other already sitting there.

Hermione shrugged off her black dragonhide jacket and tossed it over the back of a chair before she ghosted up the stairs. Reaching the top, she stopped at the first door she found, and peered in the cracked door. Hermione pushed it open, sliding in to kiss the forehead of the boy she found there. She knelt and picked up a pair of glasses from the floor next to the bed and set them on a bedside table next to a rosewood wand before slipping back out of the room.

She knocked softly on the next door, finding it closed. She looked down and saw a faint line of light spilling from under the door. She waited a minute more before slowly opening the door, and stepping in slowly. Hermione bit her lip, smiling as she slipped over to the bed. She picked up a large, decrepit book and marked Emilia's place and set it aside. "Mummy?" a soft voice, exactly like her own at sixteen asked, as emeralds blinked open, "I was waiting for you."

"You were?" Hermione smiled as she sat down on the bed. "Move over a bit," Hermione scooted up on the bed to sit with her back against the headboard. "What did you need, Em? Something your dad couldn't help you with?" She smiled slightly, "Boys, maybe?"

Emilia frowned, looking away as she played with the end of one of her braids. Emilia looked back at her, before sighing, "When did you really know you loved Dad, Mum?" she bit her lip, as she looked back down and played absently with the strings of her sleep pants. Emilia's own Familiar looked up from his window seat, merowing at them before settling back down. "Be quiet, Hipper," she muttered, and the jet-black kneazle gave her a dirty look before settling back down on the window seat.

Hermione sighed and reached around, pulling her daughter to her. An observer that did not know them would immediately assume that they were two sisters, instead of mother and daughter. Hermione looked around the room, noticing that her daughter had half of her wardrobe spread out on the floor as if she had been trying it on, and more interestingly, the assortment of undergarments that were spread on top of it, as if she were trying to match. "What brought this on," she asked, even though she thought she knew. "Em...your dad and I trust you, honey, you know that, right?" Emilia nodded.

Hermione looked out the window, watching as Hedwig wheeled over the grounds of their moderately large estate. After the destruction during the final battle when Tom Riddle had fought them halfway across Britain, in which much of the town along with this very house had been wrecked, the inhabitants of the small village bordering the estate left, each of the thirty or so families amazingly finding incredible deals elsewhere on new homes. Especially after the government had bought them all out, paying at least double what their homes had been worth before the destruction. As a result, the Potters had acquired the rest of the village, but aside from making the pitch a full one, had not really done anything with it, other than insuring their privacy.

Hermione waited, but Emilia did not answer so she shrugged, "I don't know, Em...I wish I could tell you for sure, as I am pretty sure I know what context you are referring to...I may have loved your dad the moment I saw him, and I know I did after he saved me from that troll...but as to when I knew that I loved him, as in going to share his life and bed and bear his children..."

"MUM," Emilia whined.

"Emilia Luna Potter," Hermione said firmly, she let go of Emilia and moved down the bed, folding her legs in front of her Indian style, "I know what you are really asking, and if that's truly the case, you had better be able to handle an adult conversation, even if it squicks you out." Hermione smiled, glancing down at Emilia's t-shirt, bearing the legend, "I'm a Gryffindor and I'll take care of it...the rest of you can stop hiding now." The Potters had a rather morbid sense of humor. "It bothers me still about your grandparents too, Em," Hermione shared after a moment, and both women giggled. Hermione looked back over her shoulder, towards her and Harry's bedroom, where both Hermione and Emilia could feel his slumbering presence.

"Your dad and I aren't the poster children for a normal relationship, Em. I...think I knew fourth year, I know I did fifth, but that year was soo messed up, and your Dad was fighting to keep his sanity, that I chickened out from telling him."

"Mum," Emilia objected, cutting into Hermione's words, "You and Dad are the two bravest..."

"Against Death Eaters, Poppet, yeah, but back then, we were your age, in truth, we didn't just look like it. I was scared out of my mind, what would your dad ever see in me, I was just the know-it-all that was there to give him advice, and then he went out with your aunt Ginny..."

"I have never understood that, Mum," Emilia rolled her eyes. She started to smile, but froze at the expression on her mother's face, a brief fury that flitted across, one that she had never seen before even in the midst of her or her brother's most energetic misadventures. It passed, and Emilia watched the glow die from her mother's eyes. They both turned as they felt Harry stir and then slide back to sleep, though to varying degrees. Emilia reached over on her bed and grabbed a large stuffed hippogriff that she had named Mr. Wings when she was four. She hugged it to her, tucking it under her breasts, "What happened when you did, Mum?"

"Your father and I, actually, recognized it at the same time, more or less, though he did when I was in a coma...Merlin, our life sucked now that I look back on it..." Hermione looked at her daughter and reached out, taking her hand in hers, "Emilia...your father and I were...together on his birthday, and married on mine, if we had been anyone else, I would have thought we were insane..."

"I've known Xander longer than you knew Daddy, Mum," Emilia finally admitted the truth, in a backwards sort of way. Hermione's eyebrow slipped upward, Emilia shook her head, "We haven't done...that, mum," Emilia's eyes fell to her stuffed animal.

"So..." Hermione swallowed, half-temped to wake Harry up with a thought and have him deal with this, she bit her lip for a moment. "You've done other things."

Emilia nodded. Hermione watched as Emilia's head tracked unerringly in the direction, that several hundred miles away, next door neighbors to a wizard, Xander was undoubtedly fast asleep in his parents' house, which just so happened to be next to Emilia's grandparents. "I...wanted to go all the way with him at the end of school, but Xander said no...he wanted me to think about it, that we didn't have to rush into it, there would be time."

"He's right, Em..."Hermione whispered, "but, I am just your parent. You have to make that decision yourself. I am not going to be a hypocrite and tell you to wait...you know your heart. I know him, Emilia, you aren't going to lose him over this..."

"It's not that, mum, I know he wouldn't do that...Do you know what it's like when every time he comes in the room, your heart races and every tiny movement or gesture makes you want to jump his bones?"

Hermione smiled at some memory. She nodded slowly, "I feel that way about your father, every day...Xander is coming over to take you out tonight, isn't he?" Emilia caught Hermione's eyes with her own and nodded, "Then we should make sure that you look good, shouldn't we?"

"Mum?" Emilia motioned towards her pile of clothes, Hermione nodded, "can I borrow that skirt you wore the other day...the one that caused Dad to run into a wall?" Hermione giggled at the memory, and nodded. "Can I get my belly button pierced?" Emilia pressed further.

"If you want, Emilia," Hermione allowed, "I was a year older...but...we'll go tomorrow before your date, we can go to the same place I got mine in Muggle London." Emilia jumped forward, tossing the hippogriff to the side, and crushing Hermione in a hug. Hermione kissed her daughter's forehead, before gently extricating herself, and standing, "Get some sleep...it may be a long day ahead of you..." Emilia nodded and settled back down, before extinguishing her light.

Hermione slipped out of the room and closed it gently behind her, before she leaned on the wall next to it and took several calming breaths. She pushed off and headed quickly to the master bedroom. She entered it and closed the door; she turned towards the bed and froze as she found a pair of glittering emeralds looking into her eyes. Hermione smirked and slowly started to peel out of her clothes. She leisurely pulled her t-shirt off, before unhurriedly skinning out of her jeans, leaving her in a skimpy, red lace underwear set. She turned her back on Harry and bent at the waist, pulling off her socks. She straightened slowly, smirking as Harry groaned loudly, before she stalked to the bed, crawling over it on hands and knees until she hung over him. I just talked to Em about her...social life. You owe me.

Harry reached up and pulled her down on top of him, she moaned softly, her mouth opening, letting him explore. She pulled away for a breath, and held her forehead against his as eyes met across a span of an inch. And how am I to make that up to you, Mione... he smiled crookedly and she laughed as her fingers shone palely in his dark hair.

Depends...are the Silencing Wards working? She closed her eyes and let her weight fall fully on him as he reached up and back to pull her hair from the tail she habitually kept it in while working. It fell free and Harry spent a silent moment combing it with his fingers before answering.

They better be...or our daughter might be picking up a few pointers...Harry undid her bra with a thought.

Harry James...Hermione tried to glare at him and failed miserably, especially as she felt her knickers being slowly slid down her legs. She better pay attention then. Eyes flickered to life as a soft glow filled them. She stretched forward, kissing him, holding it as she pulled the sheet from between them, letting it flutter to the hardwood floor. Hermione started to slowly kiss her way down his chest, pausing to nip at a nipple with her teeth. Have you been a good boy today, love?

Define...good, he managed, his eyes rolling up in his head as she reached her prize and kissed the very tip of his cock. Her eyes glanced upward, holding his as she extended her tongue, rolling it around the head before taking a breath and sliding her mouth down over his dick. Harry let out a soft, happy howl as she started to bob up and down, holding his gaze with hers the entire time.

Harry closed his eyes, bending his head back as his fingers tangled in her hair. He let her work for several moments before pulling her gently away. A thin line of saliva connected her lips to him as she looked up at him, pouting, Baby, I...

Harry just smiled at her, and pulled her head up to meet his, and kissed her deeply, growling at the taste of himself on her lips. We'll get back to that, Mione, he replied, rolling her over on her back and sliding into her with one infinitely practiced movement. He groaned as their minds slid together, barriers falling away with deceptive ease. He started to move, sliding in and out slowly, as her legs came up to hook behind his hips and her arms slid behind his neck, holding his head to hers.

************************London******************************

9:20 pm

Emilia looked up at the dark eyes of her companion and smiled, wrapping both her arms around his right one. She smirked slightly as Xander checked her out, again, and she pulled him to the side of the river walk, pressing back along the low wall where here and there, other couples could be seen enjoying the warm summer night together. She smirked slightly as he picked her up by the hips and set her on the low wall, gently nudging her knees apart so he could stand between her legs.

Xander leaned in, his hands coming up to tangle in her hair, which was falling loose in soft curls, and kissed her. Emilia moaned, as she pressed back, reaching up to pull his head more firmly to hers. She felt his hands pushing up her short top in back, and she let her hands fall to the hem of his shirt and start to push it up, running her fingers along his stomach. Xander pulled back, panting, leaning his head against hers. "I...can't, we shouldn't..."

Emilia pulled her hands from under his shirt and reached up, cradling his cheeks in her hands. She leaned back in pressing her lips to his. Her tongue flicked out, running along his lips, until they opened letting her in. A quiet growl escaped his throat as he returned the kiss, his hands quickly returning to her. Emilia ground against him, as his hand slipped under her short skirt, the short plaid one in House Potter colors that Hermione had lent her, and crawled up her outer thigh. Emilia pulled back a hair as the tip of her tongue ran along the tip of his incisors as they dropped, as his eyes went totally black for a heartbeat.

She panted slightly, looking into his eyes, "You're wolfing, Xan..."

"Your eyes are glowing, Em," he countered. She smirked, laughing softly as she reached around his back, pulling him against her. Her eyes lit brighter in the gloom, as she felt the only thing between them was the rough fabric of his jeans and her thin knickers. "Merlin...you have to stop."

"I don't want to," she whispered. She glanced to each side, at the Muggles walking along the riverwalk or carrying on as her and Xander were, and sighed. She leaned forward, kissing him chastely, "But you are right, we can't continue this...here." She held his eyes as they faded, the whites reappearing until his normal, dark eyes remained, waiting until he nodded slowly and she smiled. She held still as he regained some semblance of control, before sliding off the wall, and taking his hand.

"Emilia...I love you, I'm willing to wait..." he whispered, looking up at the giant Ferris Wheel that lit up the skyline near the Thames.

She pulled them to a stop, next to a sidewalk vendor selling drinks. She spun around, and molded her front to his, tucking her head under his chin. "I know you are, but I know you don't want to." Emilia took a breath, "I talked to Mum...she knows."

Xander went pale. He pulled her to him tightly, "They are going to kill me..." Emilia laughed softly, and he looked down at her incredulously, "This isn't funny, your parents could rip up this whole street, transfigure the debris into giant fluffy bunnies and have them chase me to the end of the Earth..."

Emilia giggled and put the fingers of her right hand over his lips, cutting him off, "You're babbling, baby." She glanced down, then smiled crookedly as she let her hands drop, and let her fingers trail lightly just under the edge of his shirt, "This is Mum's skirt, Xander...she helped me get ready. She also gave me this big book to read...I didn't have the heart to tell her I read it when I was thirteen." She shook her head, sending dark locks flying. One settled over her face, hiding her right eye, Xander unthinkingly brushed it out of her face. "They love you, Xander..."

"They did," he objected softly, pulling her back to him. He sighed, and swallowed, "This isn't a one night thing; Em-I'm not your dad, and you aren't your mother-I'm not planning on putting a ring on your hand anytime soon..." He slowly ran his hand through her hair, trying not to screw up too terribly. She remained silent, torn between nervousness and mischievousness, as she kept herself from cutting him off, knowing that there was nothing that he was likely to say that would truly anger her. "But I want to...I really do, but what if this changes everything..."

"It will," she whispered, "it will change everything-and nothing. Xan..." she looked up and slowly moved his hair out of his eyes, moving dark mahogany strands, a present from his father in the genetic lottery. "Xander, despite being overly logical, and entirely too apt to analyze every situation," he smirked and she punched him, causing him to grunt, "don't laugh at me, damn it...I am a girl, I know that Justin and Elliot and the rest of your bloody friends forget, but I am...I was planning our wedding the night after you asked me to Hogsmeade when we were thirteen." Twin emerald eyes darkened, the pupils dilating again as she took a quick breath, before a flicker of magic lit them again.

She buried her face in his shoulder, hiding her face, and furtively glanced around, wishing that they were clear enough to Apparate. But there were too many Muggles around, negating the advance that had dropped the Apparition age to sixteen, a partial response to the events of the final battle seventeen years ago. The words to the Disillusionment Charm hung on her lips, but she did not say them, as the drink vendor was looking directly at them. "I...uh, haven't got that far actually," Xander admitted.

"That's alright," she replied, focusing on returning herself to normal, "between my mum and yours never getting a big wedding and Aunt Molly, and Grandmum...I doubt I'll get to plan it either." Emilia succeeded in returning her magic to a more normal keel, "I'm fine, Xan," she whispered and stepped back, "come on, there's a spot where we can leave from near here."

"Where are we going?"

Emilia paused as she pulled him into an alley and reached out, not finding a living presence larger than a cat, "Grimmauld," she answered quickly and vanished, pulling him with her.

*********************12 Grimmauld Place***************************

Emilia and Xander arrived in the center of the Library, and she grabbed his hand and pulled him to the couch. She pushed him down on it, and looked down at him, suddenly nervous. With an act of will, she reached behind her and the skirt fluttered to the floor, leaving her in a miniscule pair of knickers the color of her eyes and her top. She watched as he swallowed heavily, and curled up on his lap. She closed her eyes for an instant as she felt him react to her, and she concentrated on remaining still, fumbling attempts in the dark were not what either of them wanted any longer.

"Em," Xander asked, his voice more or less steady as his hands came down to cup her mostly bare bum, and hold her against him. She waited, knowing that he wished to ask something, and frankly grateful for the brief reprieve. "Why did your magic flare up...it has with us before, I mean I know why I started to change over, I could," his cheeks burned, "um...smell you, but..."

Emilia rested her chin under his as she felt his free hand come up and start to rub small circles at the small of her back at the bare patch of skin there, "Remember when I was thirteen and I had the flu and I had to watch you and the rest as you all played Quidditch at the Hollow?" He nodded, and she smiled, "You did something, I don't know what anymore, but I powered up and exploded the barbeque as Dad was cooking, just watching...I ran into my room and cried as soon as I realized I did it...Mum came up after me and explained what happened. It was as embarrassing for her as it was for me, maybe more so, but she did, even though she let out the more...interesting bits."

"I rather like the interesting bits," Xander mused.

Emilia smiled slightly, "I'm glad...basically, adrenaline is not the only way we tend to power up...Mum did a study...she doesn't think I know, but I found it in the Restricted Section. Most wizards do it, they just don't really show any difference." Emilia slipped from his arms and paced over to the huge bay window, looking out at the lights of Muggle London of the early twenty-first century. The lights of a Muggle hovercar moved past in the distance, as she pressed her fingertips to the cool glass. She leaned back into his arms as he came up behind her, and pulled her to him. She glanced up at a clock, "I suppose that I should send a message to my parents telling them that we are here..."

"We can still-"

"I love you, Xander," Emilia replied, not turning. She smiled slightly and turned, reaching into his front pocket to pull out a small folding mirror, that also worked, and looked like to Muggles, as a Muggle cell phone. "Home." She watched as colors swirled in the mirror, then after a beat, her father's face appeared in the mirror. "Hi, Daddy."

"Something wrong, Em?" Harry asked quickly. He looked behind him, from the background; Emilia could see he was in the kitchen.

"No, just wanted you to know that we were at Grimmauld, it's a touch late, so we were going to stay here."

"We..." Harry repeated. He started to open his mouth, but stopped at a hand on his shoulder, he glanced back as Hermione wrapped her arms around him from behind and rested her chin on his shoulder, a casual pose that Emilia had seen thousands of times before.

"Have Xander call his parents, Em," Hermione said softly, her head bent next to Harry's and a moment paused as they obviously had a quick conversation. "Don't be late to your Grandparents, for breakfast, either." Emilia nodded as her parents' image faded from the phone. She closed it, and handed her mirror to Xander.

He held her eyes for a long moment, before he flipped the mirror back open and looked into it. "My house," he muttered and waited for a moment as the mirror swirled with color, fading into mass of pink hair, still untamed from the shower. Tonks blinked at him as she pushed her hair back out of her eyes, and yawned.

"Wotcher, honey," Tonks said after a moment, she glanced out of frame, and then back into the mirror, "something wrong?"

"No, Mum," Xander replied, glancing to the side to Emilia sitting on the large Library table, her hands on her legs and leaning forward watching him. She mouthed, "Love you," and he looked back at the mirror. "Um...just wanted you to know, that it's a touch late, so we decided to just stay at Grimmauld for the night."

Tonks licked her lips, glancing around the room behind her, "You did...Both of you..." Tonks closed her eyes for a beat, before looking around the room she was in again. Xander glanced back nervously at Em; she gnawed on her bottom lip absently as she started to get up from her perch. He waved her back covertly, out of view of the mirror as Tonks found her voice, "Son, I love you...have you both thought about this...really thought about it?"

"Em seems to think I have too damn much," he mumbled, the sound not carrying even to the mirror in his hand, but Tonks read his lips nonetheless.

She snorted, and closed her eyes, the same dark ones he had himself, and nodded, "If she's saying that...Alright," she replied lightly, "I will see you in the morning, I suppose, you have chores to do around here." Tonks' cheer fell away slightly, "Xander...I love Em, and there is nothing that I would rather have in my life than grandchildren, especially from the two of you...but if I see them before you graduate...you are a dead man, understand?"

"Mum!"

Tonks grinned hugely, "Have fun..." She turned from the mirror before she had hung it up, "Hey, Wolfie..."

Xander quickly closed the mirror and turned around to Emilia. He swallowed heavily as she gnawed her bottom absently, playing with the hem of her top. She stood nervously, watching his face, as he swallowed and looked up at her eyes, "You planned this, didn't you?"

"It's me, isn't it?" Emilia confirmed, her voice cracking slightly from the husky tone she had practiced. She walked forward and pressed herself to him, folding herself under his chin even as she felt him shake slightly, or perhaps it was she, or both of them. His heart raced against her ear as she felt her powers and senses start to stretch, and felt her mind dancing along the edges of his. She closed her eyes briefly as something she had not thought of before manifested, as something she had only witnessed secondhand, if at the closest of quarters, but still secondhand, started to awaken, like a phoenix searching for the light. "We do this...we aren't going back, Xan."

"I know," he answered quietly.

"I can feel the link trying to form," she went on, looking up at him, and holding his eyes with hers as he slowly, continually swept a lock of hair back out of her eyes. "If it does..." she looked down, playing with the hem of his shirt, fighting the inevitable for a moment longer, "It doesn't-just-mean we'll have really good sex." She took a breath, "And there's not an easy way to break it when it forms. We've known each other since we were infants, we finish each other's sentences; Xander..." she took a breath, fighting to keep herself in check. She licked her lips absently, and Xander groaned softly.

"Em...I...better go, then," he whispered, and started to pull away. He froze as she tightened her grip, pulling her back to him, refusing to let go.

"I'm not afraid of it, Xander..." she slowly let one arm loose as she reached up to cup his cheek, "or rather I'm terrified at the same time. But I'm not going anywhere...I'm not going to leave you, ever."

"I'm not worth it, Em. To be stuck with me." Xander took a step back, sighing, "I mean, look at me, Emilia, I'm a bloody half-werewolf. I'm as likely to foster puppies on you as much as anything."

Emilia rolled her eyes, stepping back to him, slowly pinning him between her and a library table, causing him to half sit on the edge, comical to any outside observer, considering her state of undress and his being a third again her size. She held his eyes with hers as she worked her body between his knees, and slowly started playing with the hem of his shirt. Her fingers started to drum lightly on his stomach under his shirt, "It's a little late for that, Xander...about sixteen years too late, now. I love you, Xander, and I don't care if your eyes turn black when you get randy or pissed, and I don't care that you would rather eat your steak bloody or you can smell your Mum's cooking on the other side of the village and know to run away."

She smiled slowly, as she lifted the shirt up his chest, he did not fight her as she managed to push it off over his head, and drop it to the table behind him, "On the other hand look what I get...the sexiest bloke in Gryffindor and he's mine..." she kissed his chest directly over his heart, "My boyfriend can kick the arse of anyone else in the school except me, and who will stand up for my honor against anyone even though I don't need him too...and I really like puppies." Xander grinned, as his hands came up, grabbing her waist. She leaned into him, molding her body to his, and taking a deep breath as a soft buzzing in the back of her mind, one that she could remember as being there for years, faded away. It left only a comforting, warm feeling as she felt a connection that had lain dormant for all of these years start to slowly open.

She watched as his pulse started to throb in his throat, and licked her lips unthinkingly, "Sh...should we continue this here...my bed's a touch more comfortable." He nodded and they vanished without a sound.

They reappeared a floor up, in one of the several bedrooms that had been converted for the Potters' use while they were in town. Xander looked around the room slowly, as Emilia raised her hand and waved it around the room, watching as candles set seemingly at random around the room ignited. He smiled wryly, and slowly walked around the room, looking, even though he had been here many times before. He passed a large, rather elaborate cat house, with a half dozen levels, a pair of hammocks and a three-story enclosed set of hiding places for her Kneazle. Emilia had very practically changed the color of the carpet on the cat furniture to the same exact color of her Kneazle's night-black fur.

He ran his hands along the spines of an entire wall of books, everything from paperbacks by Heinlein to the latest version of Hogwarts, a History, the one with her parents, to a new set of treatises on magical focusing theory. He smiled slightly as he saw Sexual Thaumaturgy set among several other, rather more mundane texts, at least as mundane as any text on Arithmancy and Transfiguration could be. He pulled it out slightly and saw several bookmarks set at various spots before looking back at the bed, and finding Em looking back at him. She held his eyes as she reached down, pulling her top off quickly and confirming what Xander had known in the back of his mind all evening, that it had been the only thing north of her knickers. She blushed slightly as she leaned back on her hands on the emerald and sapphire bedspread.

He swallowed, and abandoned his perusal of her room, pushing aside a dark wood stand that would, when she was actually living here full time, hold the custom sword that she had earned the right to use just last year. Xander slowly slid onto the bed, his eyes going fully black once more as he felt his fangs dropping and his blood starting to race. "Xander," Emilia said, her voice dropping a complete register, "you have entirely too many clothes on."

"Why don't you help me with that," he murmured as he leaned over her, pushing her onto her back against the shimmering comforter. She nodded, and leaned her head back, arching into him as he kissed down the column of her neck, and slowly down the valley between her breasts. She shuddered as he kissed across her right breast, flicking a jutting nipple with his tongue before taking it in his mouth to suckle gently. Both of her hands came up, holding his head in place as she took another deep, shuddering breath and her eyes lit fully. She concentrated for an instant, and Xander felt a rush of air as his clothes appeared across the room, scattered across several feet of her hardwood floor.

"Damn," she muttered, "I was going for a neat folding..." She groaned, any thought of neatness gone as she felt him brush her thigh. She pulled his head back to hers, fisting her fingers in his hair as she pulled his mouth to hers for a bruising kiss. She panted into his mouth, eyes slipping half closed as she felt him shift over her, to slowly start to grind against her already sodden knickers.

She closed her eyes fully as his lips left hers, and slowly started to work their way south once more. A soft, kittenish moan followed his progress, growing louder as he sank lower. Emilia squirmed, rocking on the bed as his tongue found her new piercing and started to gently play with it. "Oh...please..." she whispered as he left that playground and continued south, and began to kiss lightly along the waistband of her knickers. She let out a surprised squeak and jumped as Xander growled suddenly and snapped the sideband with one hand. He pulled the scrap of cloth away, tossing it to the floor and looked up at her, pausing.

"You better do the spell...now, Em," he said, his voice strained slightly, as she looked into the endless pools of his eyes, a sight that would terrify almost anyone, but made her feel safe.

Inconceiveous, she managed, and gasped loudly as she felt the warmth of the charm ripple along her nerves.

She pushed her head up, fighting the urge just to arch up to what she wanted, and nodded. Good, she 'heard' very distantly. Her eyes widened as a pair of needle sharp fangs skittered along her hipbone, and trailed down towards her center, as she felt long fingers begin to slowly explore.

"Oh...God..." she moaned, as one finger slipped in, followed soon by a second and started to move, rocking in and out, as his tongue danced a tad higher, moving in tight circles in counterpoint to his fingers. A glass candleholder across the room exploded as she arched off the bed, groaning as she moved under his attentions, her hips trying to move of their own accord. Her fingers slipped from where they were scrunched in the comforter, to tangle in Xander's hair.

He smiled as soft, mewing noises started to slip loose, between pants, as she arched her back, pressing her hips to his face. Her eyes slipped half-closed, emerald glows competing with the candles for brightness, as a pool of warmth grew and started to spread from her core... she took one more shuddering breath, and crashed, convulsing against him. "Xaannnderrr," she moaned.

She lay utterly boneless, as Xander slowly crawled up her body, settling between her legs. He leaned in, kissing her. She growled, sucking his tongue in, as she tasted herself overlaying his familiar flavor. Emilia languidly reached up, sifting her fingers through his hair. Xander looked down at her, his breath short as well as he looked down at her, watching her chest heaving fixedly. He waited as her eyes focused on him again.

Emilia slowly caressed his face, watching as the glow from her eyes danced in the dark pools she saw looking back at her. "Are you sure, Em?" he whispered, asking one last time before they crossed the one line they had never broached.

Yeah, she replied quietly, her eyes holding his. He leaned forward, kissing her, as his eyes widened in wonder. She reached up; grabbing his shoulders and with a soft grunt, rolled them both over. Emilia looked down at him, watching the emotions flit across his unguarded face, Yeah, I am about everything.

She reached between them, and closed her eyes, as she slowly started to lower herself. She stopped, feeling resistance, took a breath, and bounced once, hard. She froze, as Xander pulled her down to him, holding her against him tightly even as every nerve ordered him to move, and kissed away the tears that slid down her cheek. His heart started to crack as he saw her hurt, and wished he could take it away, a beat later, he watched, amazed as the pain vanished, swept away.

Emilia smirked, her eyes slipping partly open as she grabbed his hands in hers, holding them above their heads and started to rock, moving slowly, holding onto the sudden sense of utter contentment as long as she could. She lowered her lips back to his, and opened her mouth slightly. His tongue started to dance with hers moving in counter to their hips. "Em...please," Xander begged softly, gasping into her lips and she nodded, sitting up and balancing herself on their joined hands as she started to move quicker, and Xander started to meet her move for move.

"Fucckk," Emilia whispered, causing Xander to smile slightly. His smile fell as his breath started to shorten. Dark eyes watched a rivet of sweat slide down her throat and through the hollow between her breasts.

"Merlin...you're...beautiful," he murmured, looking up at a literal glowing-eyed goddess, at least to him, hovering over him. Her hands left his, and started to roam, dancing along his chest, and down her own as his slipped to her hips, holding her in place. His eyes held hers, they glowed brighter, and he felt a rush of colors and sounds, feelings overlaying his own and he knew the last barrier between them had fallen.

He felt the muscles in his stomach start to tremble, as a tingling sensation started to warm the base of his spine. "I..." Emilia gasped, shaking her head violently to fling soaked curls from her eyes, "I...ohhh...Xandderrrr," she moaned as the sensation burst, ripping out along her nerves. She clenched around him, pumping him furiously. A loud crashing sound came from the room, but neither noticed. Xander lasted only a beat more, before letting go, pulled along by the sensation of her release as much as his, Emilia cooed softly, feeling the sudden warmth as she wavered back and forth, suddenly exhausted.

Emilia collapsed to his chest, still shuddering, on top of him. She distantly felt his arms coming up to hold her close, though she wasn't sure, not that she was sure of her name at this point, just whose body she was sensing from. She turned her head, resting her cheek on his shoulder as she heard their heartbeats gradually start to slow, moving back to normal. She took a shaky breath as she suddenly saw through two sets of eyes for a moment before she felt herself pulling back into her own skin. Can you still hear me, Xan? she whispered, a thin thread of fear that she had already lost her new gift.

She sighed in relief as his 'voice' came back in her head, strong, if a tad shaky as well, I love you, Em... Emilia kissed his neck in answer. Does this mean I can cheat off you in class? he went on and she made a sputtering noise, and poked him in the ribs.

She raised her head and looked around, finding Hipper's cat tree tipped over, half her books on the floor, and her sword stand somehow stuck to the ceiling. The last caused her to giggle uncontrollably for some reason. Her giggles died as Xander slowly pulled her head up to kiss him. Not a chance in hell, Mr. Lupin. Her hips started to grind against him, moving slightly and her eyes widened as she felt him respond. I love you, so much...

Prove it.

I fully intend to.

There you go, a touch of happiness to start out, will it last... Next chapter, Butterbeers and Daddy's Girl.

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3. Chapter 2: Butterbeer and Daddy's Girl

A/N: Ok, here we go again. As usual I still own nothing really, and Lady Starlight has cured my insanity as much as humanly possible.
Chapter 2: Butterbeer and Daddy's Girl.

***************************Godric's Hollow***************************
July 2, 2015
6:30 am

A soft chirping hoot broke the silence of the morning, and chocolate eyes blinked open, glowed green for an instant and an alarm clock, presently showing, "Get Up, You Vagrant", clicked off, a drawer opened in the nightstand and it vanished into it. Hermione stretched slightly, readjusting her head on Harry's shoulder. Morning, Harry, she whispered, kissing his shoulder as she felt him blink awake slowly. She pulled back, stretching her arms above her head, and smirked as she watched his eyes glass over. She purred softly, rolling on top of him fully and reaching up to hold his face in her hands.

She kissed him for a long moment, sighing as she felt him warm against her belly. How much time do we have to get to your parents' place? Harry asked as his fingers drew small circles in the small of her back.

Didn't you get enough last night? she grinned, kissing his nose, as she ground her hips against his. He shook his head slightly, and she laughed, lowering her lips to his.

No, he replied simply, and reached up, pulling her head down to his shoulder as his other hand held her hips still, but I don't think we have time, do we?

Hermione sighed, and rolled on her side facing him, waiting as he rolled to face her. Not if we are to get Sirius up in time to get there, she replied wistfully, shrugging slightly, I'll make it up to you. She wagged her eyebrows and he chuckled as she rolled of the bed and bent back down, kissing him quickly and darting back, thwarting his attempts to pull her back to bed.

Come on, Mione, Harry wheedled, flowing to his feet and pulling her to him, walking them both backwards towards the bed, I'm sure your parents won't be too annoyed, if we are a touch late...I'm pretty sure they've figured out that their oldest daughter isn't exactly...innocent. Harry closed his eyes suddenly, and dropped his head to her shoulder.

Hermione guided them both to the edge of the bed and Harry sat down, waiting as Hermione sat down next to him, and grabbed his hand, holding it in her lap and running her thumb over the back slowly. She licked her lips, "I know, Harry, but she's an adult, or close enough as to not matter...we weren't much older."

"I know, but she's my baby, Mione," Harry replied plaintively, shrugging, "But I guess it was inevitable, wasn't it?" She nodded and stood, bending down to kiss him quickly before finding a black silk robe hanging off the end of the bed before slipping it on and belting it loosely.

"I'm going to go get our son up and going, Harry, go take a shower," she stopped at the door, and opened it, she smirked as she looked back over her shoulder, "We should have time if we combine activities."

***********************12 Grimmauld Place****************************

6:30 am

Emilia dozed dazedly as she lay in the arms of her...boyfriend, lover...what exactly he was now she did not quite know, consciously, at least. She knew what word the back of her mind, the part that had already accepted what had happened last night fully, wanted to use, but she carefully did not bring it to the forefront of her thoughts. She also did not think on what they would do at Hogwarts the next year, separated every night in separate dorms, as she already knew she would never sleep properly again without the slow heartbeat next to her ear that was already one of her favorite sounds. Emilia was already the front-runner for Head Girl for her seventh year. Only her mother, and in some subjects, her father had had class scores the level she routinely obtained, but that was an entire year away. It was only today, that her OWL results would arrive, which was the reason that they were supposed to go to her Grandparents this morning, honestly, for Jane to congratulate her over them.

For now, however, the only real thought on her mind was just how...perfectly her body fit against his, her chest compressed against his, her head under his chin, and their legs intertwined in a complex knot. The tans that they had both picked up from hours in the sun training at both Quidditch and other more...serious endeavors contrasted sharply with the crumpled light blue sheets of the bed. They had dozed off on top of them, only to start again and again, both of them plenty warm against each other to not need anything else.

Emilia glanced up, wanting him to wake up so they could go again, but at the same time, perfectly content to lay here. She sighed softly as her brain began to race again, as she started to process, to dissect what had happened the night before. Even now, with Xander asleep, she could almost feel the thoughts skittering along his mind, the dreams that occurred as he muttered her name breathlessly; she absently started to reach for them and then stopped herself, not wanting to intrude.

She gnawed her bottom lip as she felt him stir, his heartbeat picking up a beat or two a minute. Dark eyes blinked open after a moment, and he pulled back a bare inch or two, just enough to look down to find her eyes. "Hi," Xander whispered.

"Hi," she replied shyly, and for the first time in quite a while, she felt insecure about just about everything.

"You alright, Em?" he asked worriedly.

She smiled at him, leaning forward to cuddle with him again, "I'm a little sore, but I'm fine, Xander." Emilia was totally unaware of the soft, purring sound that she started to emit as he slowly started to pet her back, slowly trailing down to her bum and up again. "Are you alright with this, Xander?"

He grinned, knowing what she was really asking, "Shall I show you just how, happy, I am..." Emilia Luna... Her eyes lit happily, and she nodded.

If you must, she replied, rolling over onto her back and pulling him on top of her.

**************************Canton, England****************************

7:30 am

A soft, double pop sounded in a Muggle living room, and Emilia and Xander appeared, looking around. A seventeen-year-old girl leaned against a doorframe, smirking, dark blue eyes twinkling. "Hi, Em...Xander," she called.

Emilia ignored her, as she wrapped her arms around Xander's neck and leaned in, kissing him deeply. Anastasia snorted behind them and Emilia extended a hand backwards, one finger extended, as she continued the kiss. She pulled back a bit and smiled as he straightened up, "I'll see you at the Hollow, later?" Emilia asked with just an edge of worry in her voice.

"If not sooner," he replied, rather quickly, and she giggled as he kissed her cheek. Xander took a deep breath, "I suppose I better go face Mum." Unconsciously, he glanced in the direction of his parent's house, about three hundred yards away across a shared yard. He glanced up as a clock chimed the half hour, and squeezed her hands as he stepped back.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Emilia asked, pausing to smile and nod to her Grandmother as Jane came into the room, and talked to her younger daughter. Anastasia rolled her eyes slightly, but nodded. Jane left, back towards the dining area, and Anastasia slipped over.

"Break it up you two, you can get back to shagging later," Anastasia muttered.

"I love you too, auntie," Emilia replied smugly.

Anastasia rolled her eyes as she moved to a cabinet and flicked a wand at it. The doors opened and china floated out and started to march towards the dining room. She supervised it absently as she kept half an eye towards the pair in the corner of the room. A tan colored owl on a perch near the window hooted at her, and she mouthed something to it. Her Familiar launched itself into a short flight, looping around the stream of china to alight on her shoulder where she petted it.

"I'll be fine, Em," he ran his thumbs over the back of her hands, before leaning back in to give her a quick peck. "Though if you haven't seen me by tonight, you'll come rescue me?"

"You know it," she nodded, and glanced back towards the dining room where she could feel the rest of her family...the part that wasn't standing in front of her that is. "I'm a Potter-that's what we do, honestly." She smiled at him as he kissed her forehead and slipped out of the house through a side door that led to the yard.

Emilia glanced up as her aunt, or surrogate sister, it was confusing, stopped at her shoulder. "So, Em," she whispered, "was he any good?" Anastasia smirked, and licked her lips suggestively. Emilia flushed, and just nodded, her hair falling forward to hide her face. "So...how many times, did you even get any sleep, you do have bags under your eyes, luv."

"I am not telling you that, Anna," Emilia gasped. She paused and a thoughtful, almost malevolent look crossed her eyes, "Unless you want me to tell me, just how good Nathan is... Just how long will it be before there is a little grey-eyed sprog on grandmum's floor?"

"He is utterly brilliant, at least he was for me twice last night," Anna replied without a trace of shame, though not very loudly, Emilia noticed. "As to the other, I remember the charm, dear." She cocked her head thoughtfully, and Emilia did not quite meet her eyes, the expression too eerily similar to her mother's, or grandmother's or her own for that matter for comfort. "Now, spill."

Emilia's cheeks burned, and she looked down, playing with a small gold locket that Xander had given her for her last birthday, "No...we didn't get any sleep, Anna..." she mumbled.

***********************Godric's Hollow******************************

3:47 pm

Emilia sat cross-legged on the wide railing of the expansive back porch, looking out at the full pitch that her father had installed, when they had rebuilt the house. Along with acquiring the ruins of the town, he had doubled the size of the old play area along with adding a small set of stands, which he had claimed were necessary for Hermione to get the proper feel of things. Emilia pushed aside an abandoned book set next to her on the railing and gnawed absently on her bottom lip. She took a sip of her butterbeer, one of her parents' alcoholic ones, as she watched her younger brother, along with Justin Black, Lawrence, Virginia and Andrew Weasley, the first two Fred's sprogs, and Bill's oldest playing some bastardized version of Quidditch with a Snitch, one Bludger and eight Quaffles.

Emilia glanced over out of the corner of her eye, as the source of her own emerald eyes sat down in one of the Adirondack chairs Hermione had fallen in love with on a trip to Salem in the States and brought back. He watched the kids playing, not looking over at her, even though she could feel his attention on her, and knew that she could feel it on her. She smiled slightly, and took a sip of her beer before clearing her throat, "Hi, Daddy."

"How are you doing today, Poppet...you're a touch quiet this afternoon," Harry mentioned as he took a sip of his beer, turning in his chair to watch her. "Are you feeling--alright, I think that your Mum still has some of her chicken soup in the coldbox."

She smiled slightly, "I'm just thinking, Dad."

"I wonder where you got that."

"Yeah...I have no idea where that came from," she replied, and they both laughed softly. She looked back towards the ones playing on the pitch; she had almost joined them, but decided she needed to think over events last night a touch more. "Dad...about last night..."

Harry closed his eyes, "Are you fine with it? Are you pregnant?" he asked softly, his voice showing just a touch of exasperation.

"Yeah, I'm...perfectly fine, and I did the charm, Dad. I have no aims of starting a family yet, I want to at least make it through the academy first." Emilia spun all the way around on the railing and dropped her legs out in front of her, leaning forward to grab his hand for an instant. "You aren't...disappointed in me, are you, Dad?" she asked in a soft, soft voice. She dropped her eyes, not catching it as he flowed to his feet from the chair without seeming to move, and pulled her into his arms. She shook slightly, until he bent his head, to kiss the top of hers.

"No, Poppet, I never could be, I know you probably thought this through for days..."

"Months," Emilia corrected him with a small smile as she leaned against his chest, feeling utterly safe.

He nodded knowingly, and let her go, sitting back down on the edge of the chair he had vacated, and watching as Emilia perched on the edge of one facing him. She held out her hand, and the bottle she had been drinking from floated over. She took a drink, her throat suddenly dry. "Then I guess that you've guarded all the hoops then," Harry looked away for a minute, then back at her, "Em...I would...literally move Heaven and Earth for you. There is not a damn thing on this plane of existence or beyond that I wouldn't stand between you or your brother or your mother, even though I'd be on the couch for a month, to keep you safe. But I can't guard you from your own heart...If you are happy, I am bloody well overjoyed...and as a bonus, I will get to tease Moony for the next fifty years about his son wanting to become a Potter..."

"DAD," Emilia laughed and she took a breath as the smile faded somewhat, "We aren't there yet...Can I ask you a personal question, Dad?"

Harry suddenly looked as uncomfortable as his daughter, "Em...some things you just have to learn on your own...I can get your mum..."

Emilia blushed and dropped her head forward, causing a curtain of black curls to shield her face from her view. She reached up, playing with a single lock hanging on the side of her head, that she kept in a small braid, and brought the end up to examine it closely. "How did you and Mum...first bond..."

Both of Harry's eyebrows shot skyward, "What happened, Emilia?"

"I...don't know, Dad."

Mione, I need you...Harry sent across the ether and, hundreds of kilometers away in the middle of the Ministry of Magic, Hermione looked up from a stack of paperwork. She had been stuck with it as it was her week on call, with the month split between her, Harry, Remus and Tonks. She said a spell sending it to secure storage, and vanished.

Hermione appeared on the porch, literally touching Harry's shoulder as she reappeared, and looked between the two, What's wrong, Love? As an answer, Harry just waved towards his daughter. Hermione sat down on Harry's knee after shedding her robe, and faced Emilia, "Something wrong, honey?" she asked, leaning forward, knowing Harry's hand was already reaching for her waist to steady her.

"No...yes...I dunno, Mum," Emilia replied, her voice strained. She looked at her mother and worried her bottom lip absently, Just how are you going to get out of his one, Emilia? she asked herself, You got yourself into this, girl, are you a Gryffindor or not? a soft, familiar voice asked. Yeah, I am... "Dad, can you just answer the question...please?" Harry glanced at Hermione as she twisted slightly and leaned back against him, smoothing down the skirt she had been wearing under her robes while she 'conversed' with him quickly.

"First bond...I don't know, Em," Hermione replied for both of them, she looked down at her belly as Harry's left hand automatically interlaced its fingers with hers, "I don't know that there was a point where you can say where it began...I can tell you to the minute when we knew, for sure, that we could hear each other in our heads...I could always, even when we were...fighting sixth year, knew where he was, what he was feeling" she turned her head, looking back at her husband, he reached up and wiped a tear that slid unchecked from an eye, before leaning up and kissing her cheek. She should know, Harry.

Are you sure that you want to, Mione...is that a wound you want to reopen? And there is the fallout to consider with Justin and Nate, they are good kids...even if their dad is Malfoy...

Emilia watched the pair of them impatiently; she took a drink of her butterbeer, and glanced over as Dobby appeared on the pitch with a bucket of iced bottles of pumpkin juice. The players shot down, swarming the tiny elf; who Emilia could see beaming at their praise even from the porch. Dobby was family as much as any of them; he just happened to be the shortest and got a salary instead of an allowance. Em returned her brother's wave and shook her head as he pantomimed her playing, and pointed to their parents and used her hand to imitate a mouth. He nodded and went back to the rest.

We should have before, Harry, she reasoned, he shrugged, deferring to her judgment. Hermione took a breath, centering herself, "Em...you have to promise me, that what we are to tell you, won't color your thoughts about certain people...people make mistakes..." Emilia shrugged. "No, Emilia Luna, I want your word," Hermione insisted.

Emilia looked to her father, he nodded, "Fine, Mum, I give you both my word that whatever dire secret you are about to reveal, I will try not to let it change my mind about certain people, whoever it is that I will get mad at after this, I suppose."

"Good enough," Harry said, "You explain, Hermione, I'll fill in where appropriate, I'd probably ramble."

She gave him a mock glare, and turned back to Emilia, "Where you and Xander are, Honey, is where I imagine that your father and I should have been at the start of our sixth year...if absolutely everything hadn't been bollixed up beyond any possible comprehension."

"I've heard the stories, Mum."

"No...you haven't," Hermione said, "scoot back, Harry, this will take a while." Harry obediently slid all the way to the back of the chair and Hermione cuddled with him almost absently, and once more Emilia reflected to herself how much her parents acted like they were eighteen on occasion, not just looked like it. "You've heard stories, Honey, but they are nothing like the reality. At the start of our fifth year, your Dad wasn't in the greatest of shape, he had seen Voldemort," Hermione paused and glanced back at Harry. Emilia didn't even take an extra breath at the name, even though more than one of her classmates were still afraid to say it. "Kill someone in front of him, and your dad felt responsible for it, even though there was nothing he could have done or foreseen."

"It's alright, Mione," Harry said, squeezing her hand, "Going into the year, well I suppose that's when one could say we almost lost the damn war before it started. And I don't mean the screw-ups at the Ministry...Dumbledore was still trying to hide the truth from me, to 'protect me' or 'give me a childhood' or some such nonsense. He isolated himself from me, and had Snape to try to teach me Occulmency."

"He had that traitor..." Emilia snarled; her eyes flickering as she started to rise, her hair starting to waver in an invisible wind. Harry chuckled slightly as Emilia sat down sheepishly, "Sorry."

Hermione just waved it away, "To make fifth year short, your dad was fighting every night, at least the best that Snape," she spat the name, "had taught him, but he was fighting a losing cause...It wasn't until sixth year when Tom realized, that your dad seeing his thoughts was as much a danger to him, as Tom seeing into Harry's. And then seventh year, he didn't dare, your father and I were in there together, and it was entirely too dangerous for him. But, here's where it gets a tad wobbly, honestly." Hermione bent forward, her hair falling around her face, exactly the same as Em's except for the color, even down to the small braid, as her daughter repeated the gesture unconsciously.

"At the end of the year, three events happened, two that we knew of then, or at least that your dad knew of, and one that we didn't find out about until a year later. At the end of the year, Sirius, your brother's namesake that is, died, trying to rescue us after we rushed in trying to rescue him." Harry let out a soft groan as he tightened both arms around Hermione's middle and leaned forward to rest his head on her shoulder. "Voldemort had tricked your dad, and though he had a bit to blame in it, so did I...in the end we did what we would do today, given what we actually knew then, we went after him. Tom wanted Harry to retrieve a prophecy that he wanted, the same one that's in your textbooks now."

Harry nodded and picked up the thread, "After Sirius died...and your mum was hurt in that battle...That one, was almost the worst really, in some ways, Albus decided that he would finally clue me in on just why I was the mortal enemy of the Darkest Wizard the world has ever seen."

"All of that...screwed us up, Em," Hermione said tiredly, "Your Dad was trying his best to be brave, to give the outward appearance of everything being normal, and I...got scared."

"Mum," Emilia leaned forward.

"No, Em, I was...getting almost killed at the Ministry shook me badly, and then, when your dad told Ron and I the prophesy," Emilia noticed immediately, the slight, identical, hiccupping pause that either of her parents still got when mentioning the pair that her and her brother's middle names commemorated. Hermione didn't seem to notice, though, as she continued, "I shut down, I backed away...and then, I started to plan to try to keep your dad out of trouble, at the same time, unknown to either of us, someone else, or possibly some ones else, was plotting."

"Why do I get the impression that here's the part I had to give my word about?" Emilia mused, glancing up to see the five Quidditch players troop into the house to do something before the rest of the extended family showed up for the barbeque this evening.

Harry laughed bitterly, "Because you take after your mother in more than just your looks, Poppet." He pulled Hermione back against him tightly, as she turned slightly, getting closer in the large deck chair, "I'll explain it, Love, you still hold a touch of a grudge..." Harry took a deep breath, "Ginny had a crush on me for years, had it before she even started Hogwarts, Molly had brought her up on tales of my heroism or some such bullocks, and then when I saved her from Tom in my second year, her first, she evidentially decided she was in love with me...Honestly, I never paid her much attention either way, she was the sister of my best friend, and I had other things to worry about. I guess by the end of fifth year she had gotten tired of trying to hint that she was available and...willing, though to this day, I still can't seem to remember her much before sixth year."

"She gave your dad Amortentia, Em...and at the same time, she had me under the influence of a Confunding talisman that was used to redirect my attentions from your dad to Ron." Hermione shrugged, "Molly used to talk about how nice it would be if Harry and I were to pair up with Ginny and Ron, so she could have her 'big happy family' and Ginny took it to heart. There is some evidence that it was Snape who may have first manipulated her to use it, but there was a problem..."

"She had to use enough to beat down his defenses," Emilia said quickly, her eyes widening in horror as she looked between her parents. "Just how weak were you, Dad, Mum?"

Hermione smiled darkly, "In instants, you cut through to the issue, a fact that our...poisoner never realized until too late. Until I told her at my wandtip, in fact." She reached out and Emilia fell across into her parents' chair, letting her mother pull her into her arms, "The night Dumbledore...died, your Dad was under so much Amortentia, that he couldn't fight Snape really. I'd guess that maybe three quarters of his magic was bound up in the fight against the potion, at the levels she was giving to him, and I was fighting the amulet's influence, with the same draining effect. The night Dumbledore died, we both broke the effects, but we were still fighting the drain, and there was still...inertia...to our feelings. It wasn't until after I caught Dobby, where he had been tricked into putting it into Harry's food, that I finally sussed out what was going on...I flushed it from your dad's system and then...I destroyed the amulet, after I sussed out what was going on with me..."

"So, Aunt Ginny..." Emilia said, her face white and revulsion filling her words.

"Let's just say that it was years after you were born that our relations were warm again..." Hermione replied, "But that's not the point, not for this discussion, our powers were depressed, including our bond...So when they snapped back, it appeared instantly and in full force, and we were instantly back were we were at the end of fifth year, if not further along. All of that...fear and mistrust that had grown between us, over pitiful, miniscule things, was gone."

"So you two would have...been together sixth year?" Emilia asked.

"I don't know," Hermione replied honestly, "I would like to think so, but with the events as they were, I just don't know. As it was, when we were free, we didn't wait at all. It wasn't just that we were madly in love the instant we were off the potions, though we were...we never expected to live through that year, Em, we fully expected to die taking him out, knowing that we were going together." Hermione leaned back against Harry, "Now, what's your story...Em?"

Harry and Hermione shared a look, waiting, as Emilia frowned, looking away from them. She stood from her chair, and took a step to the rail and leaned over it, resting her forearms on the wide top. "I..." she started and paused, took a breath, "It...honestly...wasn't some damn fool rush to be an adult, just so you know," Emilia said, her voice betraying little of the sudden terror that she felt. She tapped her fingers on the rail, "I'd thought about truly being with him...since Christmas. Since that day that Sirius came running down the stairs yelling...he walked in on us doing, stuff. I had to bribe him..." She shook her head as she glanced down, behind her, Harry felt Hermione sigh silently. "I think I knew then, 'cause even though I was embarrassed as all hell, by the way, he didn't really see anything...It was more because my, brother, walked in, than anything. If you had asked, I would have admitted it." She smirked slightly as a thought passed, "Definitely not as disconcerting as what Anna said happened when she and Nate got caught in his pool by Ginny and Draco..."

Hermione looked back at Harry, "Um, Em, Anna is my sister, I know that..." a soft, slightly malicious glint came over her eye as she thought about getting back for her much younger sister's Halloween prank when she had charmed Hermione's work robes to vanish, taking with them whatever Hermione had on under them along for the ride in the middle of the day. It would have been terribly embarrassing if the timing hadn't just happened to fall when Hermione was in her office.

Of course, the fact that Remus had just so happened to step in the door for a meeting when the spell went off was not the greatest resolution. But Hermione, having already scheduled the meeting with him, simply closed the door and sat down behind her desk, carrying on. She lasted a good five minutes before Remus finally got up and gave her his robe to cover herself, and congratulated her on her marauder-worthy spirit.

"They were shagging in the pool, Mum, of course Aunt Ginny and Uncle Draco came out starkers thinking they were alone, or so Anna tells me...Says Draco's not too shabby under all those dark colors he wears..."

"Ladies," Harry said, clearing his throat and looking at each of them in turn. Both of them glanced away, hiding slightly red cheeks behind curtains of hair. I would have paid to see that one though, he whispered and Hermione snorted, reaching back to tap the side of his head lightly.

Emilia shared a hidden look with her mother, and they both smirked. She shrugged and looked away for an instant, in the general direction of a certain Gryffindor's house that was several hundred kilometers over the horizon, and then back to them. She watched as Hermione reached down pulling off the trainers and socks she had been wearing and wiggled her toes, before pulling her feet up under her as she wiggled back to rest more fully in Harry's lap. "Honestly," Emilia sighed, "you two are more like teenagers than I am..."

"We're making up for lost time, dear," Hermione said primly, as she tucked her head under Harry's. "Now continue, we were talking about your sex life..."

"When it happened last night, I knew right away what was going on...I hadn't thought about the possibility, not like I should have, especially with you guys being my parents, but I knew. I knew, because in retrospect, that was the second time that the bond manifested..." Emilia waited as Hermione's eyes widened, she glanced back at Harry, who just shrugged. "The first time...was closer to yours, I suppose...The Cup game last April, when you two and Xander's parents were supposed to be there, but got caught up with that hostage situation and didn't make it until after it was over, remember?" Both her parents nodded silently. "When they stooged Xander at the exact same time I took that Bludger as I caught the Snitch...I saw him falling, and I..." she made a soft, choked sound for an instant, "I felt my magic reaching out for him, then I was hit, again somehow, and I fell like fifty feet...we were both lying there." She sniffled softly, "I could feel how hurt he was, I really think that I was feeling his injuries instead of mine...and I remember looking up at Poppy even though she was thirty meters away working on him, she gave him something, and I felt myself slam back into my own body, and the hurts I had were not the ones I had just been feeling."

"I never talked to him about it, though somehow, I know he knew," she added after a moment and took a drink of her beer, draining it and setting it aside.

"Come here, Poppet," Harry said softly, his eyes flickered, subtly making the chair larger. Emilia nodded, and flitted across the space between them, and let her father pull her up against him.

She wiped her eyes quickly, and took a deep breath. She shook her head, answering some question, unheard, and settled back against Harry and Hermione, crowding them terribly but neither minded. "So, Em, what did happen last night?" Hermione asked quietly.

A sudden smile bloomed on Emilia's face, "Well, Mum, first we kissed, a lot, then..."

"You know what I mean," Hermione replied, laughing.

Emilia nodded, "When I could feel it starting to fully link, it wasn't like last time, totally, I could feel the edge of my magic, my aura, soul, whatever start to intermingle with his...It was slower, than last time, at first anyway...But more...inexorable, I guess too. Xander felt it too, he offered to go, but I could tell he didn't want to, not for any reason in the world, but he would have if I had asked... We didn't hesitate for a bit because we didn't want to bond to each other, but..."

"That it's a Marriage Bond?" Hermione supplied, softly. Emilia nodded jerkily, and Hermione leaned forward, pulling her daughter to her, "Its not really, Honey, you know that..."

"I know, mum, and I...Its not that I don't love him, Merlin I do, but...I'm scared, one can get a divorce with a sheet of paper, this isn't that simple, is it?"

Hermione closed her eyes, biting her lip for a long moment as Harry buried his face in her hair, "No, it isn't, Em," Harry's voice rumbled softly. "But it's not really a marriage either, the name is just what's been hung on it over the years. It's not common, but not unheard of...It just got that name..."

"Because most of the people who show it, are married, yeah, I know, Dad," Emilia muttered. "I always knew where he was, when he came in a room, what he wanted to eat in the morning by just catching his eye across the table." She laughed softly, "We were sleeping together in the same crib half the time when we were newborns, what with Mum and Tonks having us only a month or so apart and Remus and Dad being gone all the time to cover for you two. I don't remember a time when he wasn't there, honestly. Hell when we were playing Quidditch together as kids, I knew when he got hurt, even without looking." She let out a long, loud breath, "When it started to bloom last night, and I recognized what was happening in that instant, I decided, I didn't think, I just did...It was going to happen, I just got to choose when, and I did, and I don't want to take it back, but..."

"You want him here, don't you, Em?"

"You have no idea," she replied fervently.

"Then call him here, he and his parents were coming over tonight anyway, I guess we all need to talk about this," Harry said, as a second conversation started between him and Hermione on exactly how they were going to explain that the Lupins' and Potters' eldest were now, for all intents and purposes, handfasted. Emilia looked back, catching his eyes and nodded. She started to reach into a pocket of the cargo shorts she was wearing, and Harry shook his head, "No, call him, Em, you might as well get used to it now." Her eyes widened in sudden wonder her hand fell away from her pocket...

Xander...come here...please... A soft, shocked, feeling filled her thoughts. She stood suddenly just as a muted POP sounded an arm's length from her. Xander staggered as she launched herself at him and tucked her head under his chin. His right hand came up automatically, cradling the back of her head, as his left slipped lower, supporting the small of her back. He held her silently, not feeling the need to speak as she shook slightly in his arms.

Three hours later, as the smell of cooking food wafted down the hill from the house, Emilia and Xander sat on a large flat rock next to the large, magically crystal clear waters of the lake set on the property. Out on the water, much of the rest of their extended family under eighteen played in the water, the five from the game earlier, had been joined by Nathan and Anastasia, who had looked puzzled at the odd look Hermione had given them when they arrived. Xander's younger sister had flooed in with Remus and Tonks, and left a trail of clothes, which she had had on over her suit, all the way from the back deck to the diving platform thirty meters down the shore from the sunning rock.

Emilia sighed as Xander ran his hands through her wet hair, slowly pulling loose tangles. She dropped her head to his shoulder as he gave up on her hair and started to trace idle runes on the small of her back, she smiled and kissed his shoulder as she recognized Ehwaz. She didn't look up as Anastasia and Nathan dropped next to them, Nathan grabbed Anna and kissed her, rolling on top between her legs. Emilia looked over at them and glared, "Would you like the rest of us to leave so you can enjoy the water?" she asked, crooking an eyebrow.

Anastasia sat up, adjusting her bikini top and smirking. She leaned back against her boyfriend, and laughed as he blew on her wet neck. "Would you, Em? After all Nate and I only got two or three hours alone last night, unlike some people I could mention." Nathan laughed, and Emilia rolled her eyes.

"I'd rather sit here with Xan, thanks," Emilia replied seriously, "You two go on ahead with what you were doing. Its not like no one's seen it before." Anne smirked at her, and tangled her fingers in Nathan's shaggy blond hair, pulling him to her as she reached up, tallying a score in the air with one finger.

Back up on the porch, as Harry, Remus and Roger stood over a large grill, flipping large hunks of meat with absent flicks of wands, tongs or in Harry's case, one lazy finger in the air, Tonks sat on the railing, nursing a beer. She looked down at her bare feet peeking out from the tattered hems of the battered and torn jeans she had slipped on over a swimsuit, just in case she ended up in the lake, and sighed. She glanced over to the grill at a loud laugh as Harry handed Remus an absolutely huge chunk of bloody meat on a plate, and then over to Hermione sitting cross-legged next to her, her work clothes gone and replaced with a pair of khaki cargo shorts and a long-sleeved t-shirt worn over a green bikini top, the strings of which could be seen at her neck.

"Our families are absolutely fucked up, sis," Tonks said with a small smile. She glanced over at the grill, "Oi, Wolfie, make sure that you have Harry fix the same for the kids..." He waved in acknowledgement, and she looked back to Hermione. "Be glad that your sprogs like their meat dead, Hermione."

"They still eat like you wouldn't believe," Hermione replied, "Both Em and Sirius figured out how to tap their powers at least to a degree years ago...the bloody metabolisms on them...and from Harry and I, too, I'm just glad that Dobby loves us."

"Yeah," Tonks agreed. She winced slightly as she watched her fourteen-year-old daughter, who was currently clad in a neon orange bikini and still dripping from the lake, chase down and tackle one of the Weasley twins' sons for something he had done, sending the poor boy flying fifteen feet. He got up, shaking his head slightly and Tonks let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding. "Did I tell you that I had to go to Hogwarts a week before the end of school for her?" Hermione shook her head, and took a drink.

"You know the statue that sits in the center of the Grand Staircases?" Tonks asked. Right after the Ministry's public awarding of several Orders of Merlin, first class and innumerable lesser ones, an eight-foot statue of a phoenix with its wings spread shielding a bronze plaque holding the names of those who had died at the Second Battle of Hogwarts had been installed. Hermione nodded, it was one of the few such monuments that the Ministry had put in place that she found both tasteful and appropriate. Fawkes himself had modeled for it, and the two names at the top of the list both with asterisks marking their posthumous receipt of the Order of Merlin, she knew as well as her own.

"I guess the Gryffindors lay flowers there every week, or mementos, what ever, it would have driven Flitch crazy...It was Abby's turn, and she had just laid her flowers and put a little Gryffindor flag to replace one that was worn out when the latest of the Parker kids and his cronies came along."

"Tony Parker's kids, the dumbarse that told Harry that the Dark Lord would rise again and that it was all an illusion when we arrested him in March?" Hermione asked.

"The same," she nodded and took a drink of her beer. "He came up to my little, delicate girl, and asked her where her dog collar was," Hermione's eyes widened, and Tonks shook her head, "Wait, it gets better. Boy then proceeded to ask if Elliot, who I guess she is seeing, even though he's two years ahead of her, had his shots, because he was sure that Elliot might catch something from the animal." Hermione's eyes flared slightly, putting aside Xander and Emilia's relationship, Tonks and Remus' children were almost her own. Tonks raised a hand, forestalling Hermione's outburst. "He topped it off by saying that her brother, who she loves deeply, must be an animal and likes the dirt as he proved it as he slept with a Mudblood whore..."

Hermione's eyes did light then, causing Harry's head to snap to her. She held up a hand, waving him back as she took a breath, calming herself. She looked to Tonks with hard brown eyes, "Dumbarses can't even get the insult, right. What did she do?"

Tonks gave her a small, lethal smile, "My petite, four-foot-something, third year at the time, threw his arse through a door. According to Neville, who was the one who found them, he has become an awesome Head of House by the way for Gryffindor, the other two ran and Parker shit his pants when he looked up, with a broken leg and a concussion, mind you, and saw her standing there, her eyes totally black and her fangs showing...I'm just glad that they aren't full wolves...I'd love them just the same, but that and the hormones they already have...I'm actually glad it was her and not Xander that heard that...That would have been bad."

Hermione nodded, sighing, "What are we going to do with our other two, Tonks?" she sighed and scrubbed at her eyes, "It's going to be hard enough on them at Hogwarts."

"Let them switch off between here and our place I suppose," Tonks replied with a shrug, she turned at Hermione's slightly surprised expression, "I know what it's like too, Hermione, Lupin and my connection might not be strong enough for outright telepathy and I doubt that if one of us kick it, we both are gone, like theirs or yours, but I know what its like to not be able to be with them every night..."

"You can't sleep, skin crawls, your mind starts trying to search out and find them," Hermione supplied.

"Stomach aches, can't concentrate..." Tonks went on, "I don't know what I'd done if you hadn't developed that Animagus potion for me, that let me choose what form to be so I can be with him those two, three days out of the month...It helps that he figured out how to make himself transform-never thought I'd be glad for anything from Tommy's crowd, but I am."

"I have a confession, Tonks," Hermione said after a moment, Tonks cocked her head in a silent question, "I sorta helped Em get ready for last night, I knew what would probably happen, I didn't expect this though."

"I figured," Tonks replied. She reached over and took Hermione's hand, "We both knew this was coming, sis. Wotcher, it's a hell of a lot better than some damn broom closet at Hogwarts or the Astronomy Tower."

"Technically, it could be argued that they are hand-fasted," Hermione said thoughtfully, "If both families agreed, we probably could get Albus to allow them married quarters."

"I doubt it," Tonks growled, shrugging and finishing her beer. She tossed the empty in a large can set on the porch for such things and summoned another from a large, open, cooler filled with beer, pumpkin juice, and Muggle sodas on ice, with her wand. She flicked her wand at it, popping the cap off and took a drink as she slid her wand back into her back pocket. "Albus isn't Minerva...and this isn't the same as you and Harry, Hermione. When it was you two, you were both Heads already and already of age, assigned to the same suite so as long as you were discrete; she could pretend she didn't know. And by the time she found out, you were actually married; it was a fat acompli. Both of you could have walked out at any time and that school would have been closed a month later as soon as all the parents found out that the 'Chosen One' had left." Tonks shrugged again, "Albus can't set that precedent..."

She looked out over the grounds, watching as Abigail, Virginia, Elliot and Justin, shot past, all of them with slightly malevolent looks carrying bags marked with the intertwined WWW of Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. "Now if it were next year, it would be different, you know that Em, baring her hexing a Professor or something is going to be Head Girl-"

"And Xander and that weird kid from Ravenclaw who never leaves the library are probably up for Head Boy..." Hermione glanced over as Tonks carefully hid a laugh at something, "What?"

"Nothing," Tonks replied, her voice carefully level. She looked up as Anastasia walked up from the lake, her arms tightly wrapped around Nathan's left one. "You could ask your sister if she would sublet?" Tonks remarked, jokingly, knowing that Hermione's sister, and the Ravenclaw son of Ginny and Draco had been named Heads for the next year this very morning.

Hermione's expression however, was thoughtful, "That is an option, though Albus owes us, Harry and I, you and Remus, by Merlin he could at least fight the Regents for-" she began, but just as she started to continue, an unearthly howl screamed out over the lawn and several seemingly innocuous rocks, along with the lights in the house, started to flash a bright red. Hermione met Tonks' eyes in mid-air as she tumbled from the porch, already blurring into motion towards the lake, where the wards were telling her an intruder had just ripped though them, a feat that should have been impossible for only one person in the world who was not actually already here and though she still held issues with Albus Dumbledore over some of his treatment of Harry, he was an authorized guest.

A/N: dun, duh...Duhhhh.....Next time, An unexpected guest.

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4. An Unexpected Visitor

A/N: Let's answer that pesky question of just whom is showing up for dinner shall we? As usual I own the plot, and some of the characters. Thanks to Lady Starlight for her usual terrific work to moderate my insanity.
Chapter 3 An Unexpected Visitor.
**********************Godric's Hollow, Wales******************

Emilia and Xander rolled apart, diving for cover and looking around as the wards screamed their intruder alert into their joined consciousnesses. Emilia concentrated a beat, summoning their wands from her bedroom where they had both left them. They arrived with a crack, and she tossed him his. Get the kids to the house, she muttered, waving towards the lake where several of the younger kids, in particular Bill and Fleur's eight-year-old twin girls, were playing in the shallows.

Xander sprung from the rock, leaping to the shallows fifteen feet away in one bound and grabbing the twins up in his arms, and starting to push them towards the shore. A loud CRACK and a monochromatic swirl of light erupted ten feet away from Emilia, and a hooded figure of approximately Emilia's height and build, grew from nowhere.

The figure held a wand half raised in one hand. Emilia snapped hers up, the tip already glowing as the unknown witch spun, her right foot scything up and sending Emilia's wand tumbling into the weeds.

Emilia rolled backwards with the impact, came back to her knees, flung her right hand up, palm facing the intruder. A wave of pure force flung the witch backwards, tossing her twenty feet into the lake, flying over Xander's head to land with a huge splash. The last of the kids stopped at the edge of the lake as Emilia called her wand back to her hand in mid air, diving into the lake and coming up immediately shaking her head hard once to toss wet hair out of her eyes. She swam quickly to the shallows, and watched as the witch sputtered and stood, looking away from them.

Emilia and Xander spread out, approaching the intruder slowly from a wide arc. She didn't look back as Harry and Hermione arrived at the shore, followed immediately by Remus and Tonks. The rest of the adults were scattered about the house, most of them with wands in hand. Emilia glanced back at her mother; Hermione nodded and vanished.

Her and Harry appeared on the other side of the unknown witch, waist deep in the water, their wands held steady in a two handed grip. The witch started to spin to Hermione, and a precise blue bolt sent her wand spinning through the air. Xander caught it reflexively as it flew past his ear, and stuck it in the back of his shorts one-handed. "Freeze," Harry snapped, "you're surrounded." The figure froze, her hands open in front of her. Harry flicked the fingers of his support hand and the witch's robes vanished, leaving her in torn jeans and a ripped and stained t-shirt.

"Who are you?" Hermione growled, and the obviously young witch slowly looked up at her, odd, silvery-grey eyes peering at her from under a shaggy mop, that as a bit of late afternoon sun slipped through the trees, shone a dark red color. Hermione froze as her hand slowly started to lower, "Luna?"

An hour later, the Potters' living room was filled to overcrowding even with liberal use of Expansion Charms. Couches, chairs, and any empty stretch of wall were being used to sit, stand, kneel or crouch somewhere in the room. Hermione glanced up as her daughter came down in the company of the still unnamed newcomer, though Hermione and Harry seemed oddly comfortable with their daughter in such close company with the person who had been at wandpoint with her only hours before.

Of course, the fact that Xander was following the pair of them closely, his eyes constantly on the newcomer, might have helped ease their minds. Emilia waited as the girl came to stand in the middle of the room, and stopped, looking nervously around at the gathered family. Jane glanced towards Hermione then walked across the edge of the room, and handed Emilia a mug of tea, sweetened with honey. "Thanks, Grandmum," Emilia said with a small smile. Jane just smiled and kissed her cheek before crossing to sit down on a couch with Roger. He sat back, and rolled his eyes slightly as he glanced to the side, finding Anna sitting on the floor between her boyfriend's legs.

Emilia took a sip of her tea, the sugar and touch of caffeine giving her a small jolt. She let her head loll back slightly against Xander's shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her from behind. Her still damp hair darkened the fresh t-shirt he had pulled on, after changing out of the wet suit he had had on. Alright, Em? he whispered as he kissed the top of her head. She nodded, and squeezed his hand where it rested low on her belly, lightly tapping her stomach just above the top button of her jeans.

"What the bloody hell is going on?" Fred asked as he looked at the girl standing almost defiantly in the center of the room. She looked much less the worse for wear, as she stood with her hair clean and sparkling slightly in the light from the candles spread around the room. Godric's Hollow had electricity and even a satellite connection, that often went off line, depending on the moods of the inhabitants, but the Potters were just as likely to use more traditional means of illumination. The young sixteen-or-so-year-old witch looked small in a pair of Emilia's jeans and an old sweatshirt, with her bare feet poking out under the worn hem of the jeans.

"Let's ask, shall we, Fred," Hermione asked calmly, and turned towards the girl. "Alright, who are you?"

The girl looked towards her wand, sitting on an end table next to Harry. She took a breath, "My name is Harriet Molly Weasley," a sudden, shocked silence fell like a curtain in the room, she looked at Harry and Hermione, "Mum and Dad will be along presently..."

A coffee cup shattering broke the silence as George's fingers went numb. Hermione ignored it as she stepped forward, "How do we know that you are telling the truth?"

The girl blushed slightly, "Mum said to remind you of the time that the two of you were at Grimmauld one night doing research and the pair of you started drinking...you, uhh," her eyes dropped to the floor, and her blush deepened, "were...comparing Dad and Uncle Harry's um..."

Mione? Harry whispered, amused, she just shook her head, sending her hair flying around her face.

You won, Hermione replied simply. She stepped forward and held out her arms, and every eye except Harry's widened as Hermione folded the new girl into her arms. "Welcome home."

"It's starting...Mum says that it's bleeding across the worlds...something is coming," Harriet whispered. "She's scared...says that it's more of a risk to stay away, now." The girl started to slump, "I'm tired, that took too much out of me," she whispered looking up at Hermione. Without another word, Harriet's eyes rolled up in her head and she passed out.

10:45pm

Emilia sat crossed-legged on the floor of her bedroom on a thick blue rug. A thin, sheathed sword rested across her legs as she sat with her eyes closed, her breathing slow. Hipper was stretched out by her right hand, providing the only movement in the room as she slowly stroked down his shimmering blue-black fur, fur exactly the same color as her own hair. A fact that she had been utterly enraptured with when her parents had presented him to her, the day she left for Hogwarts.

She languidly opened her eyes and looked up towards her bed, where Harriet slept, clutching a pillow to her chest. Emilia's Familiar looked up towards her, and she stroked his head, I'm fine, Hipper, she said, her bottom lip in her teeth. Her eyes cut to the right, as Crookshanks slipped in the slightly cracked door. He rubbed up against Emilia then stopped next to Hipper. Crookshanks seemed to talk to Hipper for an instant, before the dark Familiar looked up at his mistress. Go ahead, I'm fine. Hipper nodded and stood, rubbing against her once before following Crookshanks out into the house.

Emilia slowly drew the sword sitting on her lap, watching as light from a pair of candles and a pair of enchanted red and gold lava lamps set on the dresser, danced along the water pattern of the polished Damascus blade. She reached down to her side and picked up a soft square of black silk and started to slowly run it down the already immaculately clean blade. Emilia laid the naked blade back down across her legs, and traced the lines and folds of the cord wrapped handle with one finger. A triplet of oval stones, sapphire, emerald and ruby, formed a three-pointed starburst menuki between the crimson ray skin underlay and the black cord overwrap. A series of runes decorating the oval tsuba of the sword, between a small, rampant lion at the cutting edge, and a phoenix at the back of the blade, lit the same color as her eyes as she ran her finger over the stones on the handle.

The sword, a present for her fifteenth birthday, had been made by a wizard smith in a small costal town in Oregon. The wait for a sword by Malcolm Kincaid was usually on the order of five years, each was made one at a time, with meteoric iron in a blend that could defeat most any spell even, if rumors were true, the Kedavra. Each sword was further enchanted for speed and strength, along with various spells that could make it disappear in the sheath or shrink or grow as needed. The feather from a California Mountain Phoenix was set in the handle, providing a magical core, just like a wand. Kincaid had made two as a favor to Harry, insisting that he find someway of repaying the him for saving his own children after they had been caught in the middle when a running Death Eater had taken a school hostage after he was cornered trying to escape.

Both of the kids, Rain and Michael, were now in Hogwarts, going there instead of one of the six schools in the United States, because Malcolm had gone there before he emigrated to be with his wife in her homeland. Not unsurprisingly, both kids, Rain who was actually one of Emilia's roommates, and Michael, thirteen, had made Gryffindor without a quibble from the hat. Rain had also become a favorite sparring partner for Emilia; her own blade was one of her father's own creations as well.

Emilia leaned her head forward, granting access to her neck milliseconds before Xander sat down behind her without a sound and gently pressed his lips to the crook of her neck. A faint, happy sound slipped from her lips, as he spread his legs out, surrounding hers and wrapped his arms around her from behind. His fingers slipped under the hem of her t-shirt, and moved in small circles on her stomach. You alright, Em?

Yeah, she bent her head back, sighing quietly as her lips found his. She pulled away slowly, holding his bottom lip between hers for an instant longer before she let go totally. Why do you ask?

You're playing with your sword, Xander murmured, glancing around her room at Godric's Hollow. It was much like hers at Grimmauld, one wall was entirely covered in floor to ceiling bookshelves, while opposite that, a large bay window complete with a padded window seat, overlooked the Quidditch pitch and the lake on the grounds. The headboard of her bed, this one with linens and a comforter in dark shades of her house colors, sat against the wall to the right of the window. A larger version of Hipper's playground sat next to the bed. This one was complete with a small drawbridge that opened and closed automatically at his approach, along with a tall, turreted tower high enough for him to watch out the window comfortably and sit in the cold air wafting through the house from the Cooling Enchantments in the summer months.

This room was a touch more lived in, than her Grimmauld room. A pile of clothes was stacked near her closet, along with an overnight bag of Xander's that Tonks had brought along with her and just grinned as she tossed it at him on her arrival. Emilia's outfit from before she had gone swimming was hanging from the turret of Hipper's tower, tossed there during her and Xander's enthusiastic reunion, before the guests had started to arrive in force.

I'm just thinking, Emilia replied, picking the red-lacquered sheath for the sword from next to her left knee and sheathing it with unconscious practiced grace. She set the sword aside and stretched like a cat, before lying down on the rug with her head in his lap.

You think that they are alright, Harry? Hermione asked, looking over her shoulder at Harry as he rested his head on her shoulder as they watched the pair, as they stood at the partially open door. Hermione leaned back against him, as Xander started to slowly comb through Emilia's hair with his fingers, and she scooted up, pulling in tighter to him.

Harry nodded and kissed her shoulder, They'll get through it, he bit his lip, trying to hold in a sudden urge to laugh. Though I doubt that they are too happy with our new visitor sharing their room, as Sirius is already got two of the other boys with him, your folks have the guest room, and Remus and Tonks are on the couch. And that's not counting the ones that decided to stay in the secure quarters in the caverns. I rather expect that poor Em and Xander were thinking of taking up where they left off this afternoon.

Hermione smiled and stepped back, easing the door shut as she took Harry's hand and led him towards the master bedroom. Remind me to talk to Em about the wonderful world of Silencing Charms, Hermione said lightly and Harry's laughter filled the back of her head.

Xander yawned hugely and closed his eyes for a moment, and glanced up at the bed, I'm tired, Em. He flicked his wand, creating a large sleeping bag next to them with an attached pillow.

Emilia stood slowly and looked back at him, Where's mine? her eyebrow crooked as he opened his mouth, a stunned disbelief filling his eyes. He looked away, and started to conjure another, but stopped as a small hand grabbed his. Emilia knelt in front of him and pulled his eyes to hers with a hand on his chin. She kissed him quickly, I was kidding, Xan...she grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet, I think I'm going to take a shower before bed, he nodded and let go of her hand and paced over to his pack and started to dig in it. He glanced back to find Emilia looking back at him from the door to her bathroom with her hands on her hips, I didn't mean alone, Xander.

His eyes lit as he sprung the ten feet between the closet and the door, catching her up in his arms and sending her into a fit of giggles, which cut off abruptly as the door to the bathroom closed.

July 3, 2015
3:35 am

A soft moaning sound came from the direction of the bed, and Emilia slowly pried her eyes open. After a moment, not hearing another sound, she relaxed, falling into the arm that had slipped up under the Quidditch jersey she had worn to bed, bunching it up to about her ribcage. She closed her eyes again, smirking as Xander cupped her bare bum in his sleep. Emilia kissed his throat, the highest she could reach without moving unduly, and stated to drift back off, Xander's and her own body heat inside the sleeping bag was as good as any sleeping draught.

"Daddy!" the voice was only barely familiar, but at the same time, Emilia knew she had known it all her life as her eyes snapped open again. She turned her head enough to look towards the bed, to find her guest flopping and turning uncontrollably. Emilia slowly slid out from Xander's arms and the bag, pulled the jersey down to cover her, more or less, and moved over to the bed.

Emilia looked down at the girl, and bit her lip, as she slowly reached out and pushed sweaty, shaggy red hair from the girl's forehead. "Mummy..." Harriet murmured, rolling over in her sleep. The covers to the bed, the light sheet that Hermione had covered her with was long gone, kicked to the floor and the long t-shirt that Emilia had dressed her de facto cousin in last night, had ridden up to her hips, displaying her knickers. Emilia pulled Harriet's shirt down to cover her. "I can't do it, Mummy," Harriet whispered harshly.

Her eyes opened quickly as she sat up abruptly, and looked around the room with slightly glowing silvery-grey eyes. She seemed to actually see nothing, at least nothing in this room, "He comes again...once thought vanquished...the flight of death comes once more...from seed, not deed, the dark lady guides from the shadows...the darkness rises and the circle begins again..."

Harriet convulsed, almost off the bed, and Emilia dove, grabbing the other girl and pulling her to her breast, "MUM!" Emilia screamed, and held Harriet as the girl continued to shake. Xander blinked awake on the floor and looked up to find Emilia's eyes glowing and fighting to hold the trembling girl, both her body and her magic. He deflected Mr. Wings as the stuffed hippogriff shot past, and dove at Emilia's sword, flinging it under her bed and putting a sticking charm on it.

His pack, with his own toys, started to shake and he sealed it with a spell before jumping up and tossing his arms around Harriet's other side. Emilia's door slammed open and Hermione sprinted in, her hair wild and falling loose around her face and her own Quidditch jersey, an eighteen-year-out-of-date one, obviously hastily donned. Harry followed a moment after, his eyes glowed as he waved a hand around the room and it suddenly stilled, though Harriet was still convulsing. A nerve twitched in his cheek as he looked over to Hermione and nodded. Hermione pulled Xander away and cast a spell, sending Harriet's excess magic into the huge sump of the wards.

Harry relaxed at the same time Harriet's convulsions relaxed. "It's alright, Em, I have her," Hermione said to her daughter, and watched for an instant as Emilia stood, reluctantly, before moving to Xander and allowing him to grab her arm. Hermione muttered another spell and Harriet's breathing eased, "You and Xander head down and get some tea or something."

Emilia nodded and pulled on a pair of sleep pants under the long jersey she already had on, and grabbed Xander's hand, pulling him towards the door. She stopped next to Harry, "Dad," he looked to her, she bit her lip and Harry's eyes widened slightly at the trace of fear he saw there, "You need to see this...Legilimens..." Images raced across the forefront of his mind and Harry suddenly paled.

Across the room, Hermione let out a sharp breath, "Oh bugger..." her hands shook slightly as she looked at Harry. Her bottom lip trembled slightly as she held his eyes for a long moment. "Xander, get your parents up...we need to talk about this," he nodded, and she looked over to her daughter, "Em...send your Patronus to Dumbledore...we need him here, now."

Emilia nodded and left, not trusting herself to speak, pulling Xander along behind her. "Aunt...Hermione..." Harriet said tremulously, looking up from her arms. The glow had left them, leaving only her normal slightly disconcerting gaze. "I'm...sorry."

"It's alright, Honey," Hermione said, smiling down at the girl, who looked so much like the sister she had thought she had lost at Hogwarts for years, until a letter appeared in the claws of a tiny Familiar, one also never found after the chaos of Hogwarts. "Can you get dressed, and meet us downstairs, steal something of Em's, she won't care." Harriet nodded, and Hermione stood and left the room, closing the door behind her and Harry.

Hermione waited as she followed Harry to their bedroom and closed the door, before flinging herself across the room. Harry caught her automatically; his hand came up to cup the back of her head as she squeezed him hard enough for ribs to creak. Oh...God...Harry, not again...He kissed her hair, turning his head enough to touch. She swallowed, not holding in the tears she let dampen his shirt. We killed him...I know we did, all of the Horcruxes are gone... he couldn't have come back.

Harry walked them backwards to the bed. He sat down with his back against the headboard and pulled her into his lap, rocking her slightly as he fought to keep his own emotions in check. I... he stopped, at a loss as to what to say, Mione, I...

"It's alright, Harry," Hermione whispered, her hands shaking slightly as she turned in his lap enough to reach up and cup the back of his head, If they want to start again, her 'voice' growing slightly fierce as she heard the sound of Sirius talking in the hall to someone, Merlin help them...

Are you...

I'll be fine as long as you are here, Harry...she looked towards the door again, I suppose that we should really get a shower and get dressed; this could be a bit. Hermione pulled away and stood, waiting as he joined her. Harry kissed her cheek, before pushing past and heading in the direction of their bathroom. She watched the door for a long, silent moment, before the sound of running water came from beyond. Hermione turned to the closet, and flung a pair of jeans for her, and a shirt and a pair for Harry at the bed before she pulled off her jersey, tossed it on top of the jeans and joined Harry in the shower.

Half an hour later, the kitchen-now on its second or third incarnation following the second demolishing of the house during the battle to kill Voldemort seventeen years ago and the time eight years ago that Emilia and Sirius decided they could make Potions...the wards had kept the destruction only to the kitchen-was softly humming with conversation.

Tonks and Remus sat together, her lime green hair contrasting with his mostly grey, now, mop as she leaned her head on his shoulder, a cup of coffee sitting ignored in front of her. She only looked up with her eyes as Emilia and Xander slipped in from the porch, hand in hand and leaned against the wall. They waited a moment longer as Hermione and Harry arrived, accompanied by Harriet who looked around at the others shyly.

Harriet sat down at the table across from Tonks and timidly served herself from the carafe of coffee set there. Emilia kissed Xander on the cheek and walked over to her mother as Hermione flicked her wand at the stove, before sliding it into her hair for safe-keeping. A pot filled with milk and chocolate as Emilia watched. She leaned into Hermione, "Thanks, Mum," she whispered, motioning towards the stove.

Hermione shrugged and reached out, hugging her as she watched the beverage start to make itself; "Weren't expecting this for your second night together?"

Emilia just shook her head and watched as Sirius entered the room, looked around at the adults and near adults and sat down at the table next to Harriet as if daring them to make him move. Em snorted softly then glanced over at her father, still standing in the doorway. He was taking to Remus, and trying to get his hair to do something resembling behaving with his off hand. "You know that Dad could get his hair cut...it would make it more controllable..."

Hermione looked back at her daughter with a look of slight, feigned horror, "But he wouldn't be my Harry then..." Emilia rolled her eyes as Hermione leaned back against the counter, and looked over the top of her mug at Harry. Her eyes cut to the side, and a tiny, Marauder-worthy grin flitted across her lips, "Besides, it's part of his image now...You should see him, he has these charmed boots that I gave him, allows him to kick down any door...and then he stands there, in the doorway looking in...Harry has this spell that creates a tiny thunderstorm with lighting that backlights him, all you see is his shape, that shaggy hair and his glasses that catch the light...gets my knickers wet every time," Hermione added in a matter-of-fact tone, lifted her mug to her lips and took a drink to hide her grin.

"Mum," Emilia moaned helplessly as Hermione chuckled, fixed a second mug and walked over to Harry. He took it with a small smile and kissed her cheek in thanks before taking a sip. He motioned towards a chair, and sat, scooting the chair back a touch so Hermione could sit on his knee. Emilia rolled her eyes, and paced over to the kitchen counter, where Xander had found a seat and hopped up next to him, handing him a drink as she did.

"Albus," Harry greeted as Dumbledore arrived silently and nodded to him. The ancient wizard who looked to be in his mid-thirties these days, and was dressed as almost no one on the Wizarding world would ever believe in worn jeans and a flowery shirt, with his long, auburn hair tied back into a tail, paced over to the stove and served himself from the pot of hot chocolate there.

"Excellent as usual, Hermione, one hundred points to Gryffindor," he said with a bright smile, then crossed to the kitchen table and sat opposite Harry and Hermione. He looked slowly around the room, before his eyes settled on Harriet. Before anyone could speak, Dumbledore nodded and reached into the air, flicking his fingers and handing Harriet an envelope neatly labeled in green ink with: "Harriet Weasley, Kitchen Table, Godric's Hollow". "I have been waiting to give you that envelope for a very long time, Miss Weasley, I was starting to think that it might truly be destined for the 'undeliverable' box, I am glad that I was wrong."

"Th...Thank you, Sir," Harriet said nervously. She glanced over at Emilia, who smiled supportively and waved towards Dumbledore.

Dumbledore smiled at her and waved towards the letter, "The Sorting Hat informed me when the letter was being addressed that it did not need to see you...your house will be Gryffindor..." Emilia let out a soft gasp, and Harriet's eyes shook slightly, "You will need to take your OWLs, but I assume that you will do smashing on them, after all I do remember your mother's coursework. And after Miss Potter's OWL results, if you find that you need help with your revisions, I am sure that she can help you with any shortcomings." Dumbledore's smile broadened, and he looked over at Emilia sitting very close to Xander. She held his hand in her lap with hers, and Dumbledore's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly for a brief instant. Dumbledore looked to Hermione and Harry, "I will do what I can, however they will have to be even more discrete than you ever were. I have an idea, but it may take a bit of effort on all of our parts."

Dumbledore turned back to Harriet as Hermione nodded, and Emilia looked at them with a puzzled expression on her face. "Unfortunately, I hear that we have more unsettling business to attend to at this early hour." Dumbledore reached into a pocket of his shirt, and removed a doll-house sized Pensieve. With a tap of his finger, it grew to the size of a salad bowl. Faint runes glowed in random patterns and colors, as he said, "Emilia, if you would be so kind as to share your memory." Emilia's eyes widened as she realized that everyone there would see her memory in its entirety. She blushed slightly, but came forward to the table. "Do you know what to do?" Dumbledore asked kindly, as if sensing her discomfort. Emilia nodded and he motioned to the bowl.

Emilia's wand came into her hand from behind her back; she touched it to her temple and slowly drew out a long, silvery-blue strand. With an ambivalent look, she dropped the memory in the bowl and returned to her seat next to Xander. Dumbledore waited for her to sit, and touched the bowl with his own wand.

Slowly a tiny projection of Emilia's bedroom appeared floating several inches above the bowl. The rest of the room watched as Emilia fought herself awake, and ran to Harriet. The room went silent as a church as they heard, once more for Emilia and Xander, "He comes again...once thought vanquished...the flight of death comes once more...from seed, not deed, the dark lady guides from the shadows...the darkness rises and the circle begins again..." In the kitchen, Harriet whimpered slightly as she saw herself give the prophesy and then convulse, her magic out of control. Emilia slipped to her quickly, and knelt next to her, holding her attention until Dumbledore quickly canceled the projection.

"Em, why don't you and Xander take Harriet back to bed," Harry said into the sudden silence, "you too, Sirius." All of his kids, related by blood or not, gave him a slight glare. "I promise I'm not going to let anyone," he emphasized softly, looking directly at Dumbledore, "keep things from you that concern any of you, but you four are exhausted, Hermione and I will fill all four of you in, in the morning."

As if in unconscious agreement, Emilia, and a second later, Harriet yawned hugely. The latter wavering slightly in her chair as the backlash for the use of magic, the likes of which very few sixteen-year-old witches or wizards even contemplated, let alone actually summoned and used, came back to haunt her. Emilia sighed, and waved over Xander. With his help and the reluctant help of Sirius, who still did not want to leave, they pulled Harriet to her feet and left in a tired mass.

Harry watched as the door closed behind them, reestablishing the wards he had put up so as not to disturb the rest of the house. "Molly won't like it, Harry," Remus said softly, "so far she doesn't even know that Harriet exists, let alone is here, but when she does..."

"Doesn't matter," Hermione cut in, her eyes hardening, "Harry and I are Harriet's guardians, Ron and Luna sent along a letter with her that confirmed it. Molly can complain all she wants," she took a breath as her hand tightened on Harry's, "she isn't going to do the same shyte to Harriet, that she did with Harry, when she kept Sirius from telling him what he needed to know."

Dumbledore cleared his throat softly, "I agree..." Remus and Tonks both looked to him, disbelief on their faces. "The greatest error I made in the last...bit of unpleasantness was to not give Harry the information he should have, when he should have had it." Remus nodded slowly as Tonks looked between them, her dark eyes still slightly thunderstruck. Dumbledore took pity on her, "Nymphadora, I appreciate the sentiment, but I have proved over and over again, by my own hand, that I am not infallible. If I was..." he looked up towards the upper floors, and took a breath, "there would be fewer witches and without parents, and fewer parents, without children." He took a long drink of his beverage, though the level did not seem to be lower when he set it back on the table.

"However, at the moment, that point is only peripherally germane to the situation," he went on, in a voice that was carefully neutral, mostly thanks to hundreds of years of experience. Experience, that despite all of their powers and skills, the other four did not have. Ice-blue eyes glanced over to the side, finding Remus' knuckles whitening, as he gripped a bright red mug with a replica of an Auror's badge on it. Hermione had long ago warded all of her crockware, lest it explode or shatter at an importune moment. "I assume that you all have noticed the problem with the young Miss Weasley's prophesy?"

"There's no date," Hermione supplied, her voice soft. She leaned back against Harry, as he held her up.

Dumbledore nodded, "Indeed, with the others, there was a date, or at least reference to one, this one is rather open-ended." He took a sip of his drink and stood. He looked to each of them, his eyes the ones of one who had seen too much. "I will leave to make inquiries...and I will make efforts to verify the security of the school...There will not be another, mishap, if I can prevent it. If there is anything at all..."

Harry nodded and Dumbledore vanished without a sound. He looked down at his and Hermione's intertwined fingers where they rested on her belly, their rings touching and causing the runes to glow softly. "Last time," Harry said softly, his eyes still downcast, "the war tore the heart out of our year..." Hermione leaned her head back onto his neck. "Our kids won't run, they are too damn stubborn to do so, just like their parents."

*******************Godric's Hollow******************************

A lithe girl, of medium height, stood motionless in the center of a vast cavern. Soft, glowing orbs hovered near the jagged ceiling, providing a soft cascade of light down into the chambers far below the Godric's Hollow house. A large, firmly-padded, red mat covered the stone floor under her feet, which were bare under a pair of black sweatpants. A light grey, long-sleeved t-shirt, with a logo of an American Quidditch team stretched across her chest. Hair, black enough to seem blue in the light from the orb, was pulled back in a bushy tail that hung just past her shoulder blades.

Fingers tightened around the hilt of a thin, lethal blade, as a half dozen, semi-solid, dark forms shimmered into being around her. Emilia took a breath as all six slowly drew weapons, consisting of wands, several swords, one with a pair of short axes and a sixth who cracked a shining whip composed of hundreds of tiny blades.

The two directly in front and behind her, one with a long, curved cutlass, the other, a tall burly phantom, with almost two feet on her, a huge claymore, moved as one, swinging at her head and waist and she MOVED. Time slowed as emerald eyes lit from within as she pirouetted to the side, swatting down the claymore with her blade, and continuing the spin to face the more dangerous of the two, the smaller, faster opponent. Emilia bent backwards at the waist, watching as the flat of the cutlass flicked through where her chest had been and bounded up, her blade flicking diagonally up then right. Her right heel clipped his ear, sending the "dying" simulacrum tumbling away.

She flipped backwards through the opening in the circle as the claymore flashed downward in a head-splitting stroke, tumbled backwards and rocketed back. She spun inside his reach, and snapped the sword to her right with her elbows tight to her body. A ghostly head tumbled away and she turned, batting away a turquoise spell into the head of the attacker with the axes. He dropped away, falling into a paroxysm.

Emilia flung her hand out, sending the simulated Death Eater flying, to crash against a wall. Her wand filled her hand and a red bolt flicked across, impacting him in the head. The remaining two started to circle her out of sword reach, and she took a breath. A CRACK sounded and the whip shot across, and wrapped around her sword. Emilia's wand fell to the floor as she fought for an instant, the force tugging at her sword. She glanced back and saw the last adversary raise his wand...

Emilia let go of her sword suddenly, flinging her hand at the whip-wielder. She flipped backwards, banishing her sword at the whip-wielder. The sword slid in to the hilt, as she landed lightly in front of the last one. Emilia reached for her sword, fifteen feet away. It flashed across the space, landed in her hand with a loud slap and she sliced left, shattering the enemy's wand a millisecond before the tip of her blade ripped open his chest.

Emilia took a breath, her eyes glowing more fiercely now. They faded slowly as she looked around the room. The specters shimmered and vanished, and a soft, airy voice cut across the sudden stillness. "Your response to the whip was interesting..."

Emilia started slightly at hearing Harriet's voice. She looked over to find the young redhead sitting on the stairs leading up to the house dressed much as she was in workout gear. Harriet wiggled her bare feet, and watched iridescent colored nails sparkle in the light from the lamps with an oddly pleased expression, before she blinked and looked over at Emilia. "Yeah," Emilia said slowly, watching as Harriet stood from the stairs and stalked towards her, "he's a bitch, Mum added him after some Death Eater they ran into in Belgium...he can tear you apart if you let him."

Harriet looked around the room, at the racked weapons on the wall, and at the open door that led to the Potions lab, before she stepped onto the mats and stopped several feet away. "Your mum said that you were down here...care for a duel?"

Emilia smirked slightly, "I do admit that I'm curious...Mum said that Aunt Luna was always pretty good."

Emilia made a motion to start to put away her sword, but stopped as Harriet motioned away with her left hand. She reached behind her and pulled loose a six-inch, black, metal rune-inscribed cylinder. She gave it a small, snapping shake, and with a flicker of inscribed runes, it grew, both ends extending until Harriet held an inch-thick six-foot long staff in front of her. "Like it, Mum made it for my last birthday," she snapped it into a blurring figure eight, and recovered with it held behind her back, "the Runes are there to discourage Dark Sneaglewurts from sleeping in your bed--that and they provide a semi-solid shield might stop a Unforgivable-not that I really want to test it. It has a core too, so I don't really need a wand."

Em laughed, "So what rules?"

"Nothing too disfiguring," Harriet replied, "that would be...regrettable."

"Sure would," Emilia agreed, she gestured in the air, and a sudden heaviness filled the air for an instant as protective wards established themselves. She dropped her sword into a low guard, the point trailing away from her. She rose up on her toes slightly...Harriet's staff snapped at her head, and was batted away by the sword. Em snapped a cut diagonally up and her eyes widened slightly as Harriet flipped up and back, landing in a roll and bounding up in one coordinated move and charging back.

Emilia batted away a strike at her side and tumbled forward flipping over Harriet and slashing downward as she landed. Harriet caught the blow on her staff and tossed Emilia back, only to have her staff nearly tore from her hand at a gesture. Harriet bounded back and snapped one end of the staff downward, and shot a stuttering series of Stunners at Em, only to watch them be deflected into the ceiling.

Harriet spun the staff in a blurred arc, sending a blue spell off into the shadows. She took a breath and flicked her staff to each side. A pair of workout machines twisted and changed, becoming tall, metallic stick figures that charged. Em ducked under one, swinging a weight like an axe, and spun, firing a Reductor to destroy the other as it came in from behind her. She spun and sliced upward, her blade glowing faintly and the first attacker came apart with a clatter.

Emilia spun at a noise, ducked inside Harriet's strike and knocked the staff away, spun low and swept the redhead's feet from under her. Emilia sword fell away to the ground as she dropped on the girl's legs, pinning them between hers as her punch snapped in and stopped an inch away from Harriet's nose. She panted for an instant, watching as Harriet looked up at her calmly. "This will be so much fun," Harriet said lightly and Emilia laughed, rolling off her to sit on the mat next to her. She reached up and pulled the tie holding her hair in a tail and shook it out, grimacing slightly as half of her face was covered in her hair.

"Very few of my other friends would think so," Emilia said almost contemplatively. "I should introduce you to Rain, she would."

"I'm your friend," Harriet said her eyes wide and Emilia just nodded. Harriet grinned and reached out, summoning her staff to her, and watched as Emilia did likewise with her weapon.

Em glanced over at the other girl sharing the mat with her, and slowly reached up to move sodden bangs from her eyes. She inspected her sword, then set it aside, watching as Harriet gave her staff an odd shake and it collapsed to a fist-sized cylinder. Harriet glanced down at the white t-shirt she had borrowed, and saw that it was soaked through with sweat from their duel. With a slight shrug, she peeled it off over her head, leaving her in a sports bra and training pants, and dropped the shirt to the mat with a soft plop.

Em shrugged and followed her example, leaving her in the exact same outfit, only logical as Harriet had no clothes of her own with her. "We've got to get you some new clothes, Harriet, not that I mind sharing," Emilia grinned, "I've always wanted a sister..."

"Since you don't mind sharing...how about Xander? He's a hottie," Harriet asked with a small grin.

Emilia took a small breath and looked over at her, "Harriet, you aren't..."

"A lesbian..." she supplied, her voice slightly dreamy, "no, but then I am a virgin still so I do not really know," she replied matter-of-factly and flopped onto her back, and looked up at the stone ceiling of the caves under Godric's Hollow. "I expect I will find out this year at Hogwarts, it should be much nicer than the other one.... But if I am, I will be sure to let you know, either way..."

"Alllrighhttt," Emilia said softly. She took a breath and lay back on the mats next to Harriet. A soft drip of water cut through the silence of the cavern, no one else was down here using the workout facilities, Potions labs or armory. "Harriet..."

"Yeah?"

"I know this sounds weird since we sorta just met..." Emilia said slowly and Harriet turned her head to meet her gaze, "but as soon as Dad uncovered you from that robe...I knew you, like I had known you all my life. I remember when I was younger, I used to have this dream, where...I used to play with someone, we played tricks on Sirius and talked and stuff...and that person, looked just like you, only my age at the time." Tentatively, Emilia stretched out a hand, relaxing as Harriet took it instantly.

Harriet took a breath as a flicker of light, from one of the glowing Illumination Orbs set about the cavern, danced in her eye, "It...probably was me...I dreamed of you, and here, of Hogwarts where I could actually go to school..." her soft voice faded away as she looked away for a moment. She took a breath, "It's not like here, there...or rather it is, but..."

"What happened?" Emilia asked rolling up on her side to face her. She bit her lip, and squeezed the hand that was in hers, "what happened, there...and why didn't you come back earlier, why haven't your parents followed-"

Harriet shrugged, "I was born there, so I don't know all that much about this reality-but as soon as I arrived, I knew I this was were I was supposed to be. Mum says I was conceived here...or at Grimmauld on their wedding night rather, so I guess that would account for it."

"Why do you know that?" Emilia asked and Harriet just shrugged. Behind them, Harry came halfway down the stairs, a towel around his neck and in workout gear; he stopped at the sight of them, and reversed his course, deciding to go for a run outside instead.

"I just...do," Harriet replied, she let go of Emilia's hand and sat up, flowing into a cross-legged posture. She leaned forward slightly as Emilia sat up as well, and reached back letting her hair loose from the short tail it was in. "I am going to let my hair grow out," she mused, "I don't care that Snarkoffs might like long red hair too much..." Em did not say a word as Harriet stretched to the side and grabbed a plastic water bottle she had dropped there earlier. She took a drink, "It's different there...my parents there...I mean the people who would have been my parents there, they died with yours, the ones that would have been your parents there that is. They found the Horcruxes earlier, before they did here...you understand, Mum has a great deal of time to figure out what went wrong there...Your parents, they decided to end it, before they were really ready, and Dumbledore never came back..."

Harriet took another drink, swallowed, "Mum thinks it's because of your mother's parents dying there...During the attack when your parents saved them here, there, that Harry and Hermione were at the Burrow responding to that attack. Snape's party was delayed getting there by a few minutes, just long enough for your parents to get involved at the Burrow, by the time they found out, it was too late...Your mum, there that is, she shut down for almost a month, wouldn't let anyone in except your dad, then when she came out, they found Snape...tore him apart, I guess from what Ginny says. Here, from what Mum says, our side alternated between the defensive and offensive, giving and taking, there--" Harriet closed her eyes for an instant, remembering walking through a shattered town next to the half-destroyed ruins of the castle, "Your parents went on the offensive, Ginny doesn't talk about it much, but they went almost as Dark as Tom to end it."

"Ginny's there?"

Harriet nodded, "She and Draco were the ones that found my parents, when they came across...broken and bleeding," she swallowed, "Dad almost bought it at least twice before they were stabilized, even then...he lost an eye doing so. Mum was as bad, Poppy said she almost died on the table at least once, they were lucky that most of what remained of St. Mungo's supplies had just been relocated to there as it was more defensible."

Em bit her lip, considering, "So your dad only has one eye...that would suck, I couldn't imagine Dad like that."

Harriet shrugged, "Mum had a couple of the Osiris Eyes in her kit, since they were already developed from the prosthesis, just modified a touch, they just took off the Transmitting Spell, and used that-I'm used to it, it's just Dad." Emilia took a drink of her own water and held out her hand, catching the sheath to her sword and sheathing it, before nodding understandingly. "The rest...well the war stalemated, really. Our parents, there, killed Tom, but died doing it...The Ministry fell when the Death Eater they had elected to replace Scrimgeour was assassinated by Mad-Eye Moody, and now both sides raid each other constantly. Those who can have left Britain as the fighting has spilled over to the Muggle side, and the rest hide. Hogwarts is abandoned, they haven't had classes there in fifteen years really, I learned from Mum and Dad and a few others."

"But why didn't you come back then? You are here now," Emilia looked at her, her eyes opening slightly.

"Couldn't..." Harriet flowed to her feet, and paced over to the side of the room. "I came as soon as I could, really. Mum had been back once to visit for a few minutes while the crack remained. Turns out that it takes a great deal of power, more than either of my parents could summon, normally, to open a rift, to the right place mind you. The only way that they could do it at all, was that," she paused and looked down at her feet, shuffling slightly. "When I was a kid, the other kids there, Draco and Ginny's, some others always used to make fun of me because I used to see things that they didn't, just like Mum. They used to call me...names, say I was insane, loony..." She looked up pleadingly, "They were right, I guess, in a way. I tried so hard to prove I was as good as them when I was younger, trained harder, read all the books that I could get a hold of, but they still kept on...but the fact was I still saw things, places. The fabric of reality is thin around me and Mum, it's what let me cast the spell to bring me...home, and it's what will let Mum bring her and Dad over, later, as soon as she gathers enough power."

"If it's just...raw power that you need, Mum or Dad would provide it in a heartbeat, surely both of them," Emilia trailed off as Harriet shook her head forcefully.

"They would, yes, but Mum won't let them, just in case something goes wrong. I tried to stay until we all could come but they forced me to come over," Harriet wiped at an eye, and took a quick breath as she closed her eyes. Emilia kicked to her feet and moved over quickly, pulling the girl's head to her shoulder. She felt hot tears falling to her shoulder for a minute, before Harriet pulled away. "Thanks, Em," she said in a soft choked voice. "They said, that if for some reason they couldn't get back, then I would be with your parents...seemed to think that they would take me in or something," she added with a small, rueful smile.

"They might," Emilia allowed with a smile, reaching out and hugging the other girl, "But I'm wondering just where you are going to sleep." She looked around the cavern, "I suppose we could make Sirius sleep down here, he is a boy." Harriet's eyes flashed slightly, and she looked away for a heartbeat, focusing on something or sometime else. "Alright there, Harriet?"

"Em," Harriet took a breath, "you know you said we need to go shopping for some clothes for school...could you help me?" she asked nervously, "I...I know that I'm not much to look at..."

Emilia felt her jaw drop slightly. She took a step back and slowly panned up and down her friend's body. "You are giving me the mickey, right?" Harriet shook her head quickly, and Emilia's heart took a misstep at the look of pain in her almost-sister's eyes. "Girl...I would be worried about Xander around you if I didn't know better. The boys will be fighting to carry your books around."

"They never did back there," Harriet said in a small, small voice.

"They were stupid," a male, adolescent voice said softly from behind them, almost as if he had not realized he had said it. Sirius stood at the base of the stairs, his glasses in one hand as he pushed longish black bangs away from an unblemished forehead. He scuffed the toe of his trainers against the stone floor of the cavern, and slid his glasses back on, before burying his hands deep in the pockets of the black track pants he had on and hunching his shoulders slightly.

"Sirius Ronald Potter," Emilia snapped, "just how long were you there?" She bit her lip slightly as her brother, who truth be told she was very close to, flinched and dropped his eyes. Neither of the Potters noticed as Harriet looked at him, her eyes opening slightly.

"I just came down the stairs, Em, I needed to use the gym too...I'm sorry, alright," he looked at Harriet, ignoring for a second his sister, as manners won through. "Pardon me, Harriet, it was not my place to say anything." He shrugged slightly and turned on his heel and started back up the stairs.

Emilia glanced over as to watch Harriet as the redhead's eyes tracked Sirius the entire way up the stairs. "It's alright, Harriet, I'll apologize later. He shouldn't have been listening in."

"I didn't mind," Harriet said absently, still looking up towards where Sirius had vanished into the main part of the house. "He...won't say anything...I know it." Without realizing it, her hands tightened around the water bottle that was still in them, "Emilia...is he..."

Emilia's mouth opened in a silent "O" of comprehension. "Are you sure...That's just Sirius..."

"Please, can we, I," she let her eyes drop. "Nevermind," she said in one word. "I'm sure he's out of my league..." she muttered darkly, and turned to pick up her discarded shirt from the floor.

Emilia sighed, There goes Mum's delusion of Sirius being sweet and innocent, "Harriet...If you want my brother," she chuckled slightly, her head shaking ruefully, "Merlin help me, I'll help you get him."

Harriet's eyes grew huge as she spun on her heel and flung herself at Emilia, crushing the slightly younger girl in a bone-breaking hug, "Thank you..."

"We'll see how much you want to thank me, later when you really get to know him."

Hermione frowned slightly as she slipped back upstairs, invisibly, having not wanted to disturb the girls. She leaned against the wall at the top of the stairs and closed her eyes, her body fading back into visibility as she remembered an unexpected visitor on a happy Saturday afternoon...

***********************Diagon Alley***************************

Several years prior...

Her head was down as a lithe, brunette young woman, with striking, silvery-grey eyes sat down at their table. Emilia glanced up at her, and smiled, before returning to her ice cream. "Hi, sis," Hermione greeted as she took a sip of her coffee and turned to glance in the newcomer's direction.

"Hello, sis," the newcomer replied, reaching across the table to grab Hermione's hand in her own. She bent across the table and kissed her on the cheek, "I've missed you so much."

"We had no choice...by the time we knew..."

"We don't blame you, Hermione," she replied, smiling slightly, "even I didn't forsee it, the castle flung us...away, and we didn't know ourselves for years how to get back..."

"What are you going to do, how long can you stay?"

She shrugged, "I don't know, we want to come home soo much, he almost can't stand it, but he's so much more...rooted. And even if he could, it's not yet time, polyjuice and other things can only be used so much," she reached up and pulled on her long thick, chestnut braid and pulled it over her left shoulder. "Hair color is nothing...but I was never as famous as you three."

"What are you going to do in three years?" Hermione looked around the area, her eyes flickered and a subtle defensive ward appeared around them. Emilia perked up, having felt the ward on her expanded senses; then went back to her ice cream, even though Hermione knew quite well that she was paying attention.

"I don't know," the woman admitted, "We've already had to reinforce the Cloaking Charms around Harriet's magic several times...where we are, she would be such a target..."

"You won't be able to, then. Once she starts to hit her magical puberty, if you keep cloaking it, you might stunt it. She has to learn to hide it herself, and I doubt she will be able to do that for years. Harry and I couldn't do it until we were like sixteen, seventeen, and we had the added pressure of a Dark Lord after us."

"We might again, Hermione, there is a darkness rising, one like I've only felt once before."

Hermione looked up as a pack of eleven or twelve year olds slipped past, giggling as they looked at the latest issue of Witch Weekly. Harry's picture was blinking from the cover, as Hermione looked to the woman, "He's dead, I saw him die, it damn near killed Harry and I."

"It's not Tom...I don't think, the taste is wrong, close, but wrong..." she stood and walked around the table, giving Emilia a hug, which the small girl returned forcibly.

"When are you coming to stay, Auntie?" Emilia asked softly.

"I don't know, Em," she admitted and kissed the girl on the forehead, "I love you though."

"I know," Emilia replied, and turned back to her ice cream.

Luna turned back to Hermione and kissed her softly on the lips, "Give that to Harry for me, I love you, sis."

"You two, Loony," Hermione whispered and watched as her once thought lost sister in everything that mattered took a step back and vanished with barely a sound.

A/N: That certainly changed everything, didn't it? Next chapter, a bit of shopping. That's always fun and peaceful right? Baring some random catastrophe, like word crashing again randomly like it just did, you should have a chapter or Without Supervision as well so go check that out. Also you a few of you were looking for info on the kids, the bios of the first 4 are up at my LJ, here: http://bladeandwand.livejournal.com/6898.html

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5. Chapter 4: A Plan

A/N: As usual, I only own the plot. Thanks to Lady Starlight for her work on this chapter. The train has left the station. And remember, Harriet is Luna's daughter.

Chapter 4: A Plan...
******************************Diagon Alley*******************************

July 4, 2015
4:20 pm

Contrary to the scene years ago, when the war with Voldemort was in full cry, Diagon Alley was filled to overfilling with Wizards and witches in town for the beautiful Saturday afternoon to do some shopping. Teenagers in a mixture of Muggle clothes and Wizarding gear were everywhere; standing in front of Quality Quidditch Supplies ogling the new Firebolt Mark VIII; slipping from Slug & Jiggers apothecary with bags full of smelly, squirming, potion ingredients; or struggling with stacks of books from Flourish and Blotts. Old witches down to London for the day were competing with young families walking along. A half-dozen brooms shot over the alley at ten meters up, each trailing a long banner marked with "WWW".

A troop of over-excited second year girls ran past a large, plate-glass window, the center one held a large, white cat, which she shad just purchased at Magical Menagerie. She was petting the seemingly bemused feline and calling over to her other friends about how she was going to keep him with her all the time, even in class. Emilia looked up from where she sat reading a new book on sympathetic thaumaturgy as she waited in Madame Malkin's and shook her head. She went back to her book and turned her page, turning past a section on induced action at a distance.

Emilia reached down and took a quill and a small notebook from her bag, and jotted down a note, resolving to ask Hermione about something in the text that seemed familiar, when a soft, hesitant voice came from in front of her. She looked up and stood quickly, setting aside her book in her chair. Harriet stood tremulously, looking around at the various students and parents in the shop getting their school uniforms and such for the year. Emilia smiled slightly as she noticed Naomi Jamillia, a sixth year Ravenclaw, looking daggers at the newest Gryffindor. Harriet smoothed down her skirt nervously and looked around the room, "How do I look? The attendant kept telling me that the skirt was too short and the jumper too tight, but it seems fine to me."

Emilia walked around the other teen slowly, and looked her up and down. She came around to the front and stopped, smiling slightly, "Do you feel comfortable in it, Harriet?"

"Yes, I don't know why that attendant wanted me to get a jumper two sizes larger, this one is perfectly comfortable. And the skirt is fine, she kept telling me that a proper lady's' skirts should be at her knees, but why?"

Emilia snorted, "I have no idea, I think that half the witches around here think it's still the nineteen-fifties."

"I do have one question, Em," Harriet went on as she looked down and bent slightly to play with the hem of her skirt that ended about halfway down her thighs. She looked up, "Don't these get drafty in the middle of winter; I'm getting a touch of a breeze..."

Emilia coughed loudly, as her eyes widened, and she pulled her friend to the side. "Um, Harriet..." Harriet's eyes opened wider in a silent question. "Nevermind." She turned from the girl, and moved back to her chair, "If you have everything, let's get going," Em smirked slightly, as her eyes lit with mischief, "I have Dad's Gringotts card, and there's a Muggle mall not too far from here. We'll get you some real clothes."

"But I have these, now," Harriet replied, "I won't need anything else for school will I..."

Emilia took her hand and pushed her back towards the changing room, "Get changed back, let's..." An explosion rocked the street, sending the large window crashing inward in a shower of glass, as both girls dove for the ground at the same instant. A thick pall of noxious smoke drifted in the window frame, which now only held a few jagged shards, like teeth to some impossibly huge mouth.

Soft moans of pain came from elsewhere in the shop as Emilia pushed up on her arms and rolled over the top of a large pile of clothes. She hurriedly checked out Harriet as the other girl rose to a crouch, shielding herself behind a doorframe with her wand at the ready. A horizontal cut dripped blood down the redhead's leg, but besides a small twinge of pain that Emilia could see in the corner of her eye, Harriet just waited, as if this was an everyday occurrence. More normal to her, than the typical fare, of shopping and boys, and Quidditch that was the life since Voldemort's defeat seventeen years before.

Emilia reached behind her back, pushing up her shirt slightly, and drawing her wand from the concealed wand sheath there. Distantly she felt a worried presence query her, and she waved her free hand at Harriet then towards the door. She made a popping gesture with her right hand, and Harriet nodded. Both girls took a breath, and vanished with faint, almost inaudible POPs.

As she reappeared in the shadow of Quality Quidditch Supplies, she took the briefest instant to catalogue the street. The source of the explosion was immediately evident, the Apothecary was a smoking hole, with the crumpled remains of dozens of cauldrons from the shop across the scattered about like marbles from some giant's bag. Several dark, cloaked shapes moved near the shop, obvious as they were the only ones standing. Emilia's eyes widened and her heart thundered in her chest as she felt a horrible, shuddering cold begin to take hold of her very bones. She shivered, and looked across at Harriet.

Harriet's face held an expression of absolute terror, before she swallowed heavily and lifted her wand, as the cloaked ones, six at least, came closer. Their dark tattered robes seemed to eat the light of the afternoon sun, and the ground froze at their feet as they glided nearer the two girls. A witch ran from a small pub in panic and the leftmost turned with deceptive slowness, and green, scaly hands emerged from within tattered sleeves and grasped her cheeks almost as if greeting a lover.

Its head, encased in a depthless hood, lowered towards the woman, she shuddered and collapsed, her open and lifeless eyes looking up at the sun. "NO..."Emilia screamed and the temporary shock ripped away as something else snapped into its place. She forced her mind away from the scene in front of her, even as tears streamed down her face, to a vision of Xander, his eyes wide and wondering as they both felt the torrent of emotions flowing over their link, that night only two days prior...EXPECTO PATRONUM...A horse-sized, silvery-white loup-garou erupted from the end of her wand. It took one, two long loping hops and tore into the Dementors, tossing one to the ground with a slash of spectral fangs and claws before launching on another.

"EM!" Harriet screamed, just in time for Emilia to turn and duck as a red bolt snapped over her head. Emilia rolled; diving away as a half-dozen Stunners cratered the wall above her head. Harriet dove out from cover, stunning a figure in a dark cloak. She took a step and the nimbus from a chartreuse beam cracked across her ribs. Harriet tumbled to the ground and time slowed abruptly.

Emilia rose seemingly oh-so-slowly, at least to her, her wand bucked twice in her hand, and shimmering blue bolts snapped downrange. A cloaked figure screamed as his arm was torn away in a spray of red. Emilia's other Reductor shattered the wall behind him, vaporizing a two-meter hole in the old stone. Her wand flicked, batting away an orange, spiraling curse into the sky, she spun and a wave of force picked up her attacker and slammed him against a stone wall. He slid down to the ground, pooling at the bottom of the wall and Emilia started back towards Harriet.

Behind her, her Patronus finished with the last of the Dementors and vanished. Emilia spun for just an instant, "CRUCIO," a yellow beam tore into her side, sending her tumbling to the ground. Suddenly, her insides tore as if flayed by a thousand, tiny, sharp knives. She rolled to her side, and looked up through tear-blurred eyes as she fought not to scream.

Vaguely, a dark shape filled her vision, and a hard, accented female voice sounded through the blood rushing in Emilia's ears, "I expected better from wee baby Potter's leavings...I knew he should have taken up with the blood-traitor, at least the breeding stock would have been better." The pain vanished abruptly, and then a sharp spike hammered through her core as a boot rammed her ribs.

"Mistress," a hard, cold voice called from somewhere behind the shape, "we have it."

"Very well," the female voice replied, Emilia started to rise back to her feet, "CRUCIO!" Emilia flopped backwards, the pain twice as intense. "I never thought that I would have the opportunity to leave Potter such a message," the voice paused, "however you would be such a welcome gift to..."

The voice taunting her cut off; screaming, as a wave of force picked up the witch and threw her through the window of Quality Quidditch Supplies. "Get away from her...you BITCH," a hard soprano growled as a welcome presence pushed back the darkness. Hermione reached behind her, her hair floating on an invisible wind and her eyes glowing, outshining the sun in the sky above, as twin, daggers filled her hands and grew, the blades extending, doubling in length. Hermione advanced slowly, and the witch slowly, shakily rose to her feet.

"GET HER!" she screamed and a torrent of spellfire hammered at Hermione. Hermione slashed her left-hand dagger across her body, and a silver half-dome batted back fifteen spells as she flipped backwards, picked up Emilia and sprinted towards Harriet. Hermione slid to her knees beside the other girl and conjured a six-foot high stone wall. Four Kedavras hammered the wall with loud crunching sounds. Screams from the bystanders, as they ran for cover, filled the air. "KILL HER!"

Six figures, in the dark hoods and white masks that had been thought never to be seen again, appeared from out of the shattered storefronts. Odd glowing talismans hung around their necks as they approached, wands extended...

The air in the exact center of their rough formation shimmered, and before even the first could turn, his head was tumbling away to the ground. A shimmering blue blade reversed and neatly lopped off a wand hand before reversing direction again and sending another Death Eater tumbling to the cobblestone street in a spray of red. A ball of blue plasma snapped from his free hand, exploding another two Death Eaters even as he spun, and his heel neatly clipped the crippled Death Eater behind the ear sending him spinning through the air to slam into his last standing partner. Harry stunned both of them contemptuously as he MOVED towards the shattered storefront.

"FUCK," he snarled as he found the building empty, his quarry gone. The sound of Apparations filled the street like gunshots, and Harry spun on his heel, emerald eyes blazing, "CLEAR THIS MERLIN-DAMED STREET." Aurors ran at his command, checking wounded, and looking for hostiles. Harry ignored them, as he moved purposefully towards Hermione and the girls. A visible presence almost manifested on the air, as he stopped, before drawing himself close, pulling it back in. Mione, he called in a silent, pleading voice.

We're fine, Harry, she replied, very quietly. He vanished the wall that they were sheltering behind, and for a long instant held Hermione's eyes, as the glow faded to leave a look of almost panic, an image that he had hoped never to see again. She blinked and it vanished, but they both knew he had seen. Harry knelt next to her, and touched the back of her hand with his, before he reached out and touched Emilia's forehead.

A CRACK sounded next to them and Harry waved away the Aurors as Xander knelt next to Emilia and looked up at Harry and Hermione. Harry took a deep breath, as Xander pulled Emilia up into a half-sitting position across his legs. Her eyes blinked open, and she took a deep, panting breath, "Xan..." Emilia closed her eyes and swallowed. Harry watched as Harriet sat up and slid over, and took a glass of water, and part of a bar of chocolate.

"Are you alright, Poppet?" Harry asked as Emilia opened her eyes again.

Emilia smiled slightly, and coughed, holding a hand to her ribs, "Sure, Daddy, I've taken a lot worse hits in training...Can Xan and Harriet and I go home? Please?"

Harry looked back as one of the Aurors signaled it was clear. He nodded, and turned back to the teens, "Alright, Em...Xander, get them to bed, no arguments Em, Harriet," he added as he saw both girls rouse enough to try to complain. "You did your job..."

"Dad," Emilia quietly as the memory of that first victim filled her thoughts, "I wasn't..."

Harry shook his head, "It's alright, Em, your Mum and I will be along presently." Harry watched as Emilia opened her mouth to argue, but before a word escaped, Xander caught a small rock and he, Harriet and Emilia vanished in a fall of color and rush of wind. Harry looked at the empty space next to them for a long moment, before reaching under his light jacket, pulling a small folding mirror and flipping it open with one hand. "Remus," he called darkly.

The mirror reflected his face for a moment, before swirling with color and resolving into Lupin's rugged features. "We found Bella, Remus...she just attacked my daughter."

*************************Godric's Hollow******************************

9:20 pm

Xander sat silently in a slightly-tattered, green easy chair pulled up next to Emilia's bed. A cup of coffee sat cooling on her bedside table as he reached out, and ran his fingers through her hair slowly. She sighed quietly in her sleep and rolled over, facing him.

Xander frowned as Hipper gave him a significant look before settling down on his Mistress's feet, watching towards the door with unblinking yellow-green eyes. Xander reached over to a small plate next to the coffee and tossed a chunk of roast beef from the sandwich Dobby had fixed him and he had not eaten, to the kneazle. Hipper ate it without looking from the door. Xander reached forward and pulled a light blanket up to her chin. He leaned back in his chair, briefly trailing his fingers over a wire-wrapped hilt sticking out of his pack as if he were afraid that it had left in the last minute since he had checked. I love you so much, Em, he muttered, resting his hand on the sheets next to her.

"I love you, Xan," she muttered in her sleep and scooted towards him more, and wrapped her body around his hand, grabbing it with both of hers and tucking it to her chest. Xander rolled his eyes, but didn't move it, instead leaning forward and resting his chin on his other arm on the edge of the bed.

"That's not the most comfortable position," Harry's soft voice broke the silence from his post leaning against the doorframe. "Trust me, I know." He reached up and swept his fringe off his forehead, only to let it drop into his eyes once more.

Xander's head shot up, tracking towards Harry, "I...uh..."

Harry shook his head and moved silently into the room, he stopped next to Hipper's cat castle and picked up an old Gryffindor sweatshirt, with several holes burnt in it from Potions experiments, off the top, and tossed it towards a hamper set in the corner. "Xander..." he shrugged, "Roger never killed me; I suppose I should extend the same courtesy."

"Thanks...I think. You know that would rather Kedavra myself than hurt her, even before..."

"That's pretty much the only thing that's kept you alive," Harry replied, smiling slightly. Xander gave him a small smile and reached up with his free hand, cradling Emilia's cheek. "How is she, Xander?" Xander's eyes hardened, and started to blacken out. Emilia stirred and he took a breath, centering himself. "I see you've learned the drawbacks too...good luck trying to slip a Christmas, birthday or anniversary present past her for the next three hundred years or so too."

"Yeah...She was more scared than I've ever seen her...Un..."

"You can call me Harry, Xander," Harry replied shrugging, "nothing has changed really, I've known it was coming since you two were thirteen." He snorted and slid down the wall. His eyes closed as he held up an empty hand and Mr. Wings shot across the room and hovered over his palm. He looked at the stuffed Hippogriff for a moment, "I got this for Em when she was four, I was on some assignment, and damn near missed her birthday, picked him up at the last minute." He shook his head, and looked down at the floor, "How long was it before she got to sleep?"

"About two hours ago," Xander muttered. "She...she's blaming herself, Harry."

"I know. We're good at that." Harry looked up towards the bed, "How's Harriet?"

Xander shrugged, "Sirius helped me get them in bed, she's in his room," Xander bit back a short laugh at some memory.

"What's so funny?" Harry asked, bemused.

"When we checked, Harriet...um, Sirius got an eyeful," Xander shrugged, "I've never seen someone apologize so much in my life." Harry's face held an odd expression, "He didn't mean to."

"Don't worry, somehow, if Harriet's like her mother, I doubt she would mind." Harry smiled at some long ago memory, of Luna's voice distantly carrying to his ears, asking, "Hermione, you don't care if we use your room; do you?" and Hermione replying, breathlessly, "Just....clean up," giggle, "when you're done, Luna". His smile faded as he watched the suddenly dark expression on Xander's face.

"Yeah...I'm sorry, Harry;" Xander added, his voice soft, as his head bowed slightly.

"For what?" Harry asked.

"I should have been with her, Harry, I was going to go with them, but I canceled at the last minute, Nathan called and needed help with something, some damn stupid thing with fixing his broom again...Em told me to go, but I should have been with them...I..."

Harry stood and took a step over to Xander, he gently clasped the teen's shoulder, "Xan...you didn't know; you're not a Seer, are you?" Xander smirked slightly despite himself and shook his head. "Then we can only do what we can do...Xander, Emilia loves you, you can't try to hide them away, protect them like china, they deserve more than that that. My daughter is just as stubborn as my wife, Xander, if you don't already know that by now, you haven't been paying as much attention to her as I'd thought..."

"I know...How do you do it, knowing that..."

Harry sighed, "It tears me up inside Xander, makes me want to scream...to destroy everything in this world that could even bring a tear to her eye...but I can't, no matter how powerful I am, there will always be some threat." Harry looked up as Emilia's window opened and a huge snowy owl slid in on silent wings and alighted on top of Hipper's cat palace. Harry reached over and took a small scrap of parchment from Hedwig. She hooted and fluttered over to his shoulder, and accepted a rub of her feathers as only her due. Harry glanced down at the parchment, a random collection of letters and numbers and muttered a spell.

The letters rearranged themselves into a few terse sentences, and Harry nodded to himself as he read. "Your folks will be along in a bit, Xander, they are collecting Abby from the Finnegans," Harry explained, and Xander nodded. Harry turned slightly, Hedwig barely wobbling on his shoulder, "Xander...you both would be much more comfortable in bed." Harry smiled at his stunned expression, and slipped out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Sirius Potter's room was a young male mirror of his sister's, not that Emilia pretended to be anything but what she was. "A Bookworm with tomboy tendencies," as she had remarked to Xander one day early in her third year, the day after she had accepted his date to Hogsmeade and immediately panicked, and almost convinced herself to back out. A large, scarred dresser took up part of one side of the room, with every drawer half open and clothes hanging out. A single, large bookshelf sat on the other side of a doorway that led to his and Emilia's shared bathroom, filled to overflowing with schoolbooks, a five-part series on Defeating the Dark Arts, Quidditch magazines and various works of fiction.

On a stand on the dresser, a large, glowing orb sat, it continuously shifted colors across the spectrum, providing much of the light in the room. It lit the water of a large fishtank filled with tropical fish set next to it, like a large lightbox. Across from that, and catty-cornered to a window overlooking the backyard, a full-sized bed with a dark red comforter, and light tan sheets, sat with its headboard pushed against a wall. A tall, currently unoccupied, multi-level stand for Sirius' grey-horned Owl, Natasha, was set next to the head of the bed, opposite a table that held an unlit lamp, a Wizarding alarm clock and a Muggle Paperback with the title: On Basilisk Station.

The soft, glowing lights lit the red hair of the bed's sole occupant, casting glints of color along the girl's slightly shaggy tresses. The comforter was puddled at the base of the bed, and a light blanket matching the sheets pulled up to her hips as she slept the sleep of the exhausted. She rolled over in her sleep, flopping onto her back and wiggling for a moment before settling back down.

A quiet sigh echoed across the room as the door opened slowly from the cracked status it had been in. A shadow leaned heavily against the doorway, and the shadow of a hand came up to scrub at tired eyes before she continued into the room.

Hermione rolled her eyes as she found Sirius asleep on the floor, a sleeping bag from his closet his palette, as he defended the threshold of his room. His hand was resting near his wand and part of a black, lacquered sheath was peaking out from under the edge of the bag. She stepped over him and knelt, conjuring a pillow with a wave of her hand and slipping it under his head. She stood silently after gently kissing his cheek and slipped over to the bed. Hermione closed her eyes as she saw the white bandage around Harriet's side, peeking out from under her half-ridden up t-shirt, and felt the prickle of tears in the corners of her eyes. Hermione looked up and to the right as Harry wrapped his arms around her from behind and rested his head on her shoulder. Hermione reached forward and pulled the blanket up enough to cover her charge's belly and turned, burying her face in his shoulder.

Luna is going to kill me, Harry, Hermione remarked quietly. Her breathing was even, the panic already burnt away. She trusted her daughter to my charge, Harry, and I let her get hurt.

She's fine, Hermione, Harry whispered, kissing the top of her head. His fingers pushed up her shirt in the back slightly, rubbing small patterns in the small of her back. They are all fine, Love.

This time...Harry...this is exactly why, we...she took a breath and just went silent. She pushed back and started to walk around Sirius' room. With quick, annoyed motions, Hermione moved around the room, picking up clothes, books and other random junk. She dumped an armful of clothes into an empty hamper and paused, looking back around the room. She frowned at the broom propped up in a corner; He knows that he's supposed to leave his broom in the garage... Hermione started to stomp over to it, only to be waylaid as Harry wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her to him.

Mione...calm down, Love...you'll wake up the kids...they might not be able to read your thoughts directly, but they can feel it when we are upset.

You're not exactly calm either, Harry, Hermione snapped back, sensing the rolling frustration and near nauseous feeling of fear in his belly. She took a breath, I'm sorry, Baby, I just want...

I know, I know, he repeated, rocking her slightly back and forth. We'll find that bitch, Mione... Hermione nodded, and kissed his shoulder. She took a step back as she heard Sirius stirring and turned, her hands on her hips and a smirk carefully hidden from view.

"Mum," he called softly, feeling around on the floor near him for his glasses. Finding them under the edge of his bag, he slipped them on and looked up, blinking and pushing randomly scattered strands of hair out of his eyes. "Dad," he added on seeing Harry. He looked up towards the bed, and back at them quickly. "Um...we didn't know where else to put her...Xander was with Em, so, I, uh...thought that someone should be here in case she woke up."

"Then why are you sleeping in the floor, guarding the entrance with your wand and sword at hand?" Harry asked, his face carefully straight, Look, Mione, my son has a girl in his bed...

Shush, or you won't, Hermione replied in a quiet growl, even though he could hear the laughter in her words. Don't you dare tease him, Harry; I think he's got a crush on her...

A Potter and a Weasley-that sounds almost delusional-Don't worry, Hermione, I won't, though I have to wonder about these boys these days, I didn't pass up that first time you wanted to cuddle with me.

I had to damn near force your arse at wandpoint; if I remember correctly, you were being all noble too.

Sirius shrugged as he sat up, a faint redness to his cheeks that was almost lost in the inconsistent "I...dunno...I didn't ah...Dad..." He looked around the room and then up at the bed where Harriet was still sleeping, he sighed, "I'll go sleep on the couch." He started to move, but stopped as Harry waved him to the floor.

"You looked comfortable, Sirius," Harry replied seriously, he looked over at the girl sleeping in the bed. He swallowed slightly as the light from the orb cycled to gold. For an instant, causing her to look almost exactly like the girl whose wedding he and Hermione had stood up at. Whose supposed loss, along with Ron's, had almost driven them over the edge into insanity. "I would move closer to the bed, though, Sirius, just in case she wakes up."

Sirius just nodded, as Harry took Hermione's hand and pulled her from the room, both of them mouthing 'Good Night' to their son as they exited the room, pulling the door to.

July 5, 2015
8:20 am

Sirius groaned slightly and rolled over, blinking against the morning sun streaming in his open window. He looked up and around, and jumped back as he found Harriet stretched out next to him on the wood floor, her head propped up on one elbow watching, seemingly unblinkingly, with her odd, grey eyes. "H...h...hello," he stammered, pushing his glasses that he had slept in, up his nose.

"Hello, Sirius," Harriet replied, an enigmatic smile graced her lips for an instant, before she dropped her eyes from his for a beat. She took a breath, and she felt her own heart beat a trace faster as she watched his eyes flicker down below her neck for an instant before his brain forced them back to her face. "Thank you, for watching over me last night...it is Samarian Horsemoth season, or so Mum says..." she said quietly. She watched him a second longer. "Your hair is odd-looking;" Harriet said matter-of-factly, "does it misbehave all the time?"

"Um...yeah," he replied, even as he reached up and tried to tame it unsuccessfully, "it's the same as Dad's, never behaves really."

"I suppose I will have to get used to it," she replied, and shrugged, "I like it, it goes really well with your eyes."

"Um...thanks." Sirius looked at her, and slowly looked down. His cheeks burned slightly as his eyes decided to work their way down her legs that were peeking out from under the long t-shirt she had more or less by herself, put on to sleep in. They stopped on a white bandage wrapped around her left leg. A bit of blood had seeped from the cut, staining the white bandage, and before he could think about it, he reached forward and touched it, "Are you, alright?" he asked, absently as both of them froze otherwise.

"I...think so," Harriet replied, her eyes locked to his, as she noticed, just for an instant, the emerald green of his eyes brightening from within. Sirius looked down at his hand, which was still resting on her outer thigh and pulled it back quickly. "L..let me check," Harriet sat up and utterly unselfconsciously lifted her shirt enough to expose the bandage just below her ribs, Sirius looked away quickly as she gently probed the graze of a Bone-Breaker curse and looked at him. "What's wrong, Sirius..." her voice was soft as she lowered her shirt, letting it collect at her hip and not bothering to pull it back down under her bum.

"I'm...sorry," he whispered, still keeping his gaze adverted, "I...uh saw you without a shirt yesterday...I didn't mean to but you were hurt and..."

Sirius shut up abruptly as Harriet leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. "Mum was right," she mused aloud, "that does shut them up." Her eyes smiled as she reached forward and pulled his face around to meet hers. "I don't mind, Sirius-not as long as it's you," she added much more softly. Both of their eyes widened as she jumped up, and moved towards the bathroom. "I'm going to...take a shower..." Harriet announced and slipped into the bathroom and closed the door. Moments later the muffled sound of her voice came from beyond the closed door, something about clothes to Emilia, before sound of running water cut the voices off.

Sirius continued to look towards the closed door for a long minute, his hand on his cheek before he stood and started digging through his closet, "Bloody hell," he muttered, "Mum picked up...I'll never find anything..." He looked up suddenly as Harriet opened the door again and swallowed heavily as he found her wearing only a towel.

"Could you hand me my wand, Sirius...I...need it to cast the waterproof charm on my bandages," she waited as he stood, staring at her for a moment, "Sirius...my wand." He nodded quickly and moved over to the bed, finding hers on the bedside table. He carried it over to her and handed it off, receiving a smile in turn, before she closed the door again.

Sirius walked over to his bed and flopped back on it, wishing, desperately, that Harriet wasn't in his shower at that moment...as he really needed a frozen one.

A/N: There we go, next chapter...A Shadow from the past. And while I'm here, I'd like to thank Fenris Wolf, from whom I subconsciously took the charmed boots idea, from Cupidity It's good and on PK, go read it.

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6. Chapter 5: A Shadow from the Past

A/N: Here we go, a bit thoughtful exposition for your morning... As usual, I own the plot and the characters under twenty, the rest have requested asylum. As is immediately obvious, Lady Starlight has once again provided a bit of sanity to my writing.
Chapter 5: A Shadow from the Past
**********************Ministry of Magic, Auror Headquarters******************

Harry yawned as he pushed open a thick oak door without knocking and walked in. The slightly tarnished nameplate beside the door read simply, "Remus Lupin". A flicker of movement caught his eye, and his hand snapped out, grabbing a rolled-up newspaper one handed, deftly avoiding spilling his beverage. Harry looked up slowly to find Remus and Tonks, both of them looking concernedly at him. Remus was sitting with his elbows on his scarred-with-use desk; one that had been, at various times, Amelia Bones' and Rufus Scrimgeour's among others. Tonks was leaning on the back of his chair, her bright blonde hair hanging in front of one eye.

"Read it," Remus muttered. He leaned back, upsetting Tonks' pose. She moved to the desk and hopped up on it next to Lupin and twisted to look at Harry.

"Read what?" Hermione asked, following Harry into the room and closing the door behind her with a small flick of her fingers. The dark paneled walls of the room lit white for an instant, as defensive wards established themselves. She dropped onto a battered leather couch, and checked her watch as Harry sat down next to her.

"Just read it," Remus replied with a snap to his voice, his eyes apologized a minute later and Harry just shrugged before opening the paper to the front page.

"Does she have anything else better to do?" Harry groused softly, watching out of the corner of his eye as Hermione's eyes hardened. He started to read:

Is the War, Really Over? Did the Ministry Lie?
By Rita Skeeter

In an act reminiscent of the dark days of the war against He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named, explosions rocked Diagon Alley yesterday, the center of all Wizarding trade and commerce in Great Britain. This attack was undertaken by, as witnesses have related to this reporter, dozens of men in classic Death Eater attire. These witnesses have, of course, stated their wish to this reporter to remain anonymous fearing Ministry reprisals, and I will entertain their wishes to my last breath.

"Bullocks," Hermione muttered, "dozens...try ten, maybe..."

Slug and Jiggers Apothecary, opened in 1728 by Snerldly Jiggers with one Galleon to his name, was utterly destroyed, with damage to that shop and the adjoining Reliable Cauldrons franchise estimated in the hundreds of thousands of Galleons. Break-ins were also recorded at Olivander's Wand Shop and an attempted break in at Gringotts' Wizarding Bank.

From all of this, one wonders if the claims by the Ministry, that the Auror forces, our primary defenders in against such attacks were properly utilized. For years, there have been complaints that the Auror service was ultimately a self-serving one, that if they truly did their jobs that no force of Darkness would dare to assault the ordinary peace-loving witches and wizards of Britain. So in that vein, one must ask, do our protectors really serve us, or themselves? Do they truly fight endlessly against that Darkness, or are they in league with that Darkness...

"You are giving me the mickey, right?" Harry snapped, tossing the paper down onto the couch between himself and Hermione. She leaned forward, and grabbed Harry's coffee off the coffee table in front of him and finished it, before she picked up the paper and slid closer to him, until her hip abutted his.

She opened the paper and looked down at the next article, and after an instant, gasped, as she read it. "Harry," she whispered urgently, he looked down and followed her eyes to the second article...

Who Was With the Potters?
By Terrance Windelquill....

The events of yesterday afternoon were indeed tragic, as many have already related in depth. But the events of that tragic day create as many questions as answers. In particular, the unknown identity of the young woman in the company of Emilia Potter, sixteen-year-old daughter of Harry and Hermione Potter, dual heads of Auror Field Operations for the Ministry of Magic. The heretofore-unknown young witch, was witnessed in Madame Malkin's Clothing for All Occasions, where she was fitted for a new Hogwarts uniform, in Gryffindor colors. Further investigation by this reporter, has also determined that all of her purchases in Diagon Alley were purchased out of the Potters' personal funds, and noted apparent closeness of the young woman in question to both Emilia and Hermione Potter as seen in this close up...

A close up, obviously taken with a telephoto lens, showed Hermione covering behind the wall, at Diagon Alley, holding both of the girls protectively, with a shimmering field hovering just above her outstretched hand, shielding all three of them. Hermione closed her eyes and muttered a dark imprecation on the parentage of reporters in general in Tibetan, before she opened them and dropped her face to her hands. She sighed and picked the paper back up with a snap and continued to read as Tonks looked back to her husband and dropped her head, helplessly.

Indeed the very appearance of this mysterious young witch, raises a startling question, just who are her parents? Could her mother be...Ginerva Weasley nee Black? The product of an adolescent affair gone wrong? As long time readers of this paper are aware, Harry Potter did, at one time, engage in a torrid love affair with the youngest of the current Minister of Magic's children only to break it off at Albus Dumbledore's 'funeral'. No convincing reason for this breakup was ever explained at the time, though rumors of love potions, infidelity and fights over Ginerva's place in the conflict abound. Could this break up really have to do with the result of a night's indiscretion? A teenage tryst gone wrong?

"You are fucking kidding me," Harry snapped and stood suddenly, pacing over to Lupin's false window, which was currently showing an image of the Black Lake at Hogwarts. He felt Hermione's eyes on him as he watched the squid swim along the surface, waving as to an invisible camera. A single Hippogriff from the Hogwarts herd swooped by.

"No one will believe that, Harry," Tonks said from her perch on her husband's desk. "They know you..."

"Do they, Tonks?" Hermione questioned tiredly, "Honestly...we know you and Remus, do...our kids...Arthur, my parents...yeah... but you know exactly how willing half those damn people were to think Harry was insane, a liar..."

"Bullocks, Hermione, you and Harry killed Voldemort, you know how much weight that carries," Tonks stood from Remus' desk and turned, leaning on his desk.

"Dumbledore killed Grindelwald, Tonks, and they believed he was barmy too," Hermione retorted, she looked towards Harry, not watching Tonks as she frowned and looked away, down at Remus. He shrugged and looked up towards Harry.

He looked back and forth between Harry and Hermione, "None of that we can help, for now, we need to concentrate on what we can do. Specifically, just where the hell is that little bitch who went after our family yesterday."

"Thanks, Remus," Hermione stood from the couch and crossed to Harry. He turned and leaned back against the wall, catching her lightly as she leaned back against him.

"She's been ours for years too, sis," Tonks replied, shrugging, and gave Hermione a tentative smile. Tonks took a breath and reached towards a large stone set in the center of Remus' desk. She received a slow nod from Harry and touched it.

The lights in the room dimmed, and a foot-high, rotating picture, like a Muggle hologram, appeared hovering over the desk. Harry glared at the dark-haired woman hovering there as a flat, emotionless female voice filled the room.

"Bellatrix Black-Lestrange...age 46 years...graduate of Hogwarts, Slytherin Class of 1976...convicted of torture with Cruciatus of Frank and Alice Longbottom and sentenced to life in Azkaban in 1982...escaped Azkaban August 1995." The voice paused for a moment, as the figure stopped rotating and faced Lupin's seat.

"Known associate of Tom Marvolo Riddle, and known Death Eater, married to Rabastan Lestrange, widowed 1997, after husband was killed during a Death Eater raid. Unknown number of deaths and mutilations attributed to subject, actual numbers may be greater than one hundred victims. Subject was last seen on 24 May 1998, during second Battle of Hogwarts of Voldemort War. Subject was observed to be pregnant at that time, and estimated to be at or near due date. Badly damaged body of a pregnant woman was recovered from ruins of Hogwarts on 1 June 1998 and was identified as Bellatrix by Ministry examiners, subject file transferred to inactive 20 July 1998, listed deceased. File reactivated as active following subject engagement 4 July 2015 by Ministry Aurors and auxiliaries in Diagon Alley. During period of inactivity, no verified contact has occurred and no verification of a birth has ever been recorded. Parentage of child was unknown."

Tonks waved her hand and the image faded away, but not the sudden anger on Harry's face. "No, it wasn't...it was Tom's...Damnit how did I let this through..."

"We thought she was dead, Harry, that's how," Remus replied tiredly. We found a pregnant body, badly damaged at the very edge of the grounds, and the Ministry identified her as Bellatrix. And if she had had the baby, it would have been recorded, at Hogwarts...surely."

"What if he sent them to another reality, like what happened to Luna and Ron?" Tonks put in, querulously, she looked to Hermione as the other witch shook her head.

"No...Harriet was there...we never checked until we got the message from them though, no one ever does really until that year's comes up for addressing," Hermione sighed and shook her head. She glanced up and back at Harry, "Remus, I want to get back and check on the kids...Abby's forted up there too, you know."

"Go...Nymph might make it there for lunch," Remus sighed and indicated the piles of paper in front of him...Merlin knows I won't." Hermione nodded, and her and Harry vanished silently, the security wards at the Ministry, about as effective towards them as the ones at Hogwarts.

***************************Godric's Hollow*******************************

3:00 pm

Hermione stood leaning on the porch rail, watching as a small crowd of teenagers sat here and there about the grounds, mostly under several trees set in the back yard, with books, notebooks and various assorted study aids scattered about. Or at least, they were theoretically all studying. The fact that the eight teens, ranging from fourteen to seventeen seemed more dedicated to charming balls of paper to shoot at each other, or sleeping, or in the case of her own sister and the oldest Malfoy/Black heir, snogging incessantly, did not really bother her terribly much.

A music player thundered from the house, playing a mildly offensive album, at least it would have been to the Victorian-Era mores that had ruled Wizarding society when she had started Hogwarts. The fact that Muggle music was playing over the wireless was only a sign of the changing times.

Hermione sung along with the chorus under her breath, and took a drink of her butterbeer. Hermione returned Abby's wave as she ran past from the house and slid in next to Elliot who was sitting under the shade of an old oak, and handed him a drink from the coldbox in the house. Hermione just rolled her eyes as the tiny girl, laid down next to Neville and Parvati's son and seemed to go to sleep with her head propped comfortably on his leg.

The Potter Estate, Hermione had long since given up on calling it a house, and rightfully so as it now included the former village of Godric's Hollow and off in the distance, visible to her as she was a witch, the keep standing guard at the other end of the valley, had become the main gathering spot for the large group of children that the Potter/Weasley/Longbottom/Finnegan/Lupin families had spun off over the years since the war. Mainly, Hermione admitted wryly, because they had their own Quidditch Pitch, but also because the kids were free to actually perform magic here, without the interfering eye of the Ministry. One of Harry and Hermione's first acts, when they had discovered that Hermione was pregnant with Emilia, was to ward the house from the Ministry's detection...and almost everything else.

Emilia was walking along the lake shore, talking animatedly to Xander, who was doing his damnest to at least pretend to pay attention. Hermione bit back an urge to giggle at the sight, remembering the times Harry had done exactly the same thing, even long before they had admitted their feelings. Honestly, that really should have been a clue, Hermione snorted to herself. She gnawed on one lip absently as Sirius sat next to Harriet under a different tree. He was gesturing to something in a book, probably letting her know where they had gotten to in some class, in preparation for Harriet to take her OWLs in a few weeks. Their actions were oddly formal though, as if they were not quite sure how to act around each other. Good luck, son, Hermione thought towards them, I'm glad I don't have to go through all that again.

A silent arrival chime sounded in her head, and she watched Sirius, Emilia and Xander's eyes all track towards her. She waved them back towards what they were doing and slowly turned as she felt a new presence on the grounds. The Potters' home wasn't totally locked out from Apparation, of course. Immediate family members, Harry, her and the kids, both of whom could Apparate, though not legally in Sirius' case, and those they considered as such, Remus, Tonks, Xander, most of the Weasley children, Neville, Parvati, and a few others, they could arrive and leave as they saw fit. The rest, however, were funneled into a tightly controlled arrival zone outside of the front garden gates by tightly focused defensive fields.

It was just such a person who had just arrived, and even though her feelings had mellowed towards her over the years, more or less, Hermione really didn't want to talk to Molly Weasley at this very instant. "Hello, Molly," Hermione greeted evenly, not yet turning from watching the yard.

"Hermione," she replied, and Hermione sighed internally, waiting for the other shoe to drop. She didn't wait long. "I've come to take Harriet home." Hermione took a breath as the older witch went on. "We will of course reimburse you for her expenses, but she should be with her family." Molly looked up and towards the house, "Where are her things, I will pack them."

"Since my parents went back home," Hermione said quietly, still not turning from the yard where every one of the teens were looking up at the porch now, some clandestinely, some not, "Harriet's gear is in our guest room, or rather, her room now, Molly..." Molly nodded and turned, starting to walk back into the house. Hermione cleared her throat, "However, I would be appreciative if you left her things were they are...as it would save me the bother to go and take them back..."

"She's my granddaughter, you have no right..." Molly sputtered indignantly, her voice hardened as she took a step forward towards Hermione. Slowly, Hermione set her beer down on the rail and turned, a single eyebrow crooking skyward as her hands cradled her hips. One finger tapped slowly on the front of her hipbone. "You already did not tell me that Ron was alive, let alone that he had a daughter...now, you..."

"There was no need to," Hermione said quietly, she took a breath, "and they had asked us not to, Molly, and honestly...we owed them a hell of a lot more than you..."

"Harriet belongs with those who love her," Molly snapped. She turned slightly and headed down a set of stairs to the side of the deck leading down to the lawn. Hermione's eyes narrowed, and with a slight bending of her knees she flipped sideways over the rail, landing in front of the Weasley Matriarch with slightly bent knees. "Get out of my way..."

"Or what, Molly?" Hermione asked, and the utter relaxation in her voice was more of a threat than any word or tone could be. "Harriet is with those who love her." Hermione closed her eyes for an instant, as she felt a relatively new, but nonetheless instantly familiar presence walking up behind her, along with one of her own. She felt Sirius stop politely out of earshot, assuming that every one of the teens did not have a pocket full of the Weasley twins' latest and greatest, of course, as the other continued on. She stopped just to Hermione's right and a couple of steps back.

"I want to stay here, Grandmum," Harriet announced softly.

No, Sirius...Em...don't, Hermione thought desperately as she felt both kids gathering themselves to run to their friend. A tiny flare of energy that would never show on the outside, and only their parents would have ever noticed. She felt Emilia move to her brother's side and stop, as if they had heard her plea. Several feet behind her, Hermione could feel Xander not moving, his stillness that of a stalking wolf. She took a breath and glanced back quickly then at Harriet, trying to cut off an explosion before it happened. "It's up to you, Harriet," Hermione said, waving the other teens back with a couple of fingers down by her hip.

"I do want to go to the Burrow and visit," Harriet said slowly, she looked back at the Potter teens, and irritably brushed her hair back behind an ear. Her fingers touched the edge of her wand, and she quickly slid it back behind her back into its sheath. "But, I belong here...please don't try to make me stay there...You won't be able to, and it will just make me annoyed."

"Dear," Molly replied softly, "are you sure that you wouldn't rather be with your family? I have Ginny's old room all ready for you, I even have a new pink quilt..."

"I am with my family," Harriet whispered, "at least the ones on this side..." she turned away quickly and headed towards the lake. Hermione watched as both of her children forced their mouths closed by main force and headed off after her, trailing silently.

"Just go, Molly, I was going to bring her over in the morning," Hermione said tiredly, "but I don't know what will happen now...you never really knew Luna...I did, and I don't know..." Hermione walked away, towards the lake. She stopped and muttered something to Anastasia, who along with Nathan, Elliot and Abigail had heard every word, of course. Anastasia nodded and turned from her sister, kissed Nathan and vanished with nary a POP.

Hermione did not turn back to look as she felt Molly's presence move towards the front of the house, and a loud, gunshot-like CRACK rang out over the grounds. Hermione scrubbed at her eyes with one hand as she bent her head forward and her unbound hair came fell in a dark curtain hiding her face.

"Aunt Hermione," a quiet, tentative alto spoke up and Hermione took a breath, looking up. She swallowed slightly, blinking hard for several seconds. "Is everything, alright?"

Hermione looked down at the tiny girl looking back up at her worriedly, her hair flashing as it continuously changed colors. Hermione head out her arms and folded Abigail into them, curling around the small girl, "I'm fine, Abby, thank you."

"Alright," Abigail replied, smiling brightly as she stepped back. Her face suddenly froze and both her hair and eyes went completely black. The very tips of needle sharp fangs could be seen protruding from behind her upper lip as she slowly looked around the area.

A monochromatic vortex grew from nowhere as the intruder sensors lit once more. A sharp CRACK rang out over the grounds as nine wands tracked towards the newcomer, only to watch, stunned as a large, pristine white wolf appeared at the exact same spot that Harriet had appeared at days ago.

He looked around the area with crystal-blue eyes, and glanced unconcernedly at the Wizards and witches charging towards him with weapons drawn. Harriet gasped loudly from behind Sirius and sprinted towards the animal, it dropped to a seat as she pushed past Hermione and dove in next to it, burying her face in his white fur, "Gaheris...you came."

A soft woof of agreement was only noise in the midst of the stunned crowd.

*********************Somewhere Else*****************************

A universe away from the cool green hills of the Potter estate, a tall, red-haired man, leaned against a broken battlement, and looked out over the grounds of Hogwarts. But this was not the Hogwarts that he had grown up in, where he had thought he had, then really had fallen in love; not the one where he had followed his best friend, his brother in all that mattered, into the very fires of Hell, because it was the right thing to do. A pair of tired blue eyes peered about, the left one glowing just a touch as it spun around wildly for an instant before locking into sync with the right.

A face that once held only laugh lines, held another, a thin scar that ran from his hairline, leaving a white streak in otherwise bright red hair, and down through the center of his left eye socket. As the breeze whipped aside a long, black cloak, a long dagger, or short sword sheathed down his right leg, with a wand holster set for a fast draw right in front of it, became visible. He sighed to himself, as he watched a pitiful few house elves, still bound to the half-closed school, working dispiritedly at repairing the once mighty Quidditch Pitch, they knew that there was little hope of a game ever being played here, again, but still they worked.

Off to his right, a pall of smoke hung over the shattered village of Hogsmeade, where another Death Eater raid had occurred only the day before. Even though he and his wife had beaten off the raid more or less by themselves, he took no comfort in the thought. The average survivor of the grinding war, on both sides, was only mediocre compared to most of those he had trained with and grew up with. He shook off the thought, and turned, looking off towards the southwest, where, on the other side of the looking glass, half of his heart was hopefully safe.

He glanced up as another soul joined him, a slim, graceful woman with long blonde hair pulled back into a plait that hung almost to her bum, and oddly disturbing silvery-grey eyes, at least they were to most of the people here. He just turned and gave them a tired smile, holding out one arm and pulling her into his side where she neatly tucked under his armpit. "Thinking about Harriet?" a soft, slightly breathy voice asked as she leaned into him.

He nodded, "Aye...Think she is alright?"

Luna closed her eyes for an instant as a faint glow started to fill them. She opened them again, and blinked, "As safe as anyone is...there is nowhere safe really...But I trust Harry and Hermione with my child, if anyone can keep her safe, they can...and at least she can take her NEWTs there."

"Oi, you bloody birds and your tests...I thought I married you, not Hermione," Ron teased quietly. Luna turned and punched him in the stomach. "OW!" he moaned, "what was that for..."

"You were being stupid," Luna replied with a shrug, then reached up and pulled his head down to hers, sighing softly as she sunk into his kiss. She slowly pulled away after a minute, his lower lip dragging in hers for an instant longer, "and that's cause I really want to shag you..."

"Merlin, I hope so," he snorted and kissed the top of her head. His smile faded slightly, "Please tell me that you're close, luv..."

Luna looked down at her feet, which were bare, she shrugged without looking back up, "It's the same as it was, Ronnie," she whispered.

He sighed, "Then you should go, Luna, leave me..."

"The hell, I will," Luna growled, she looked up at him, "I will never leave you here alone, Ron, you know that, I will figure out how to get us both home, and I will do it without getting us killed or any of the rest of my family killed..."

"Luna...you can cross, I know you can, you did before..."

She took a step back and the glare she gave him would have been home on the face of his other female best friend, the one he had not seen in person in seventeen years, "That very well may be," she snapped, "and I can send your owl back and forth, but I am not going to leave my husband here, no matter how colossally stupid a wanker he is." Luna let out a soft huffing sound and paced to the other side of the Astronomy Tower.

She swung a tarnished brass telescope on its mount, "I did suss out how Greymalkin and Pig got here, though," she muttered quietly, though she knew he heard her, would have heard her in a driving hurricane, somehow, "It should make it easier to send messages, at least...I sent Gaheris to her...she should at least have her Familiar...bloody stubborn girl, she should have taken him with her, but noooo...she was stubborn...gets that from her father-" Luna paused for a breath as Ron walked up behind her.

"I'm sorry?" Ron asked tentatively, and Luna sighed. She nibbled on her lower lip for a moment, a habit picked up by osmosis, before she turned around, and waved vaguely at the stone roof. A dark blue blanket appeared at the base of the wall and she slid down it to sit with her back against the waist-high battlement. She waited as he slid down next to her, and reached over and grabbed his hand, already having accepted his apology.

"Ronnie," Luna smiled slightly, "if I was going to leave you, I'd have done it years and years ago--probably about the time I sat in the Hospital wing with your daughter for eighteen hours. I want to go home as much as you-maybe more. This place, it's wrong, so much is just not right. I know, how, to get home, I just have to find a way to focus enough, power."

"So, it is my fault," Ron closed his eyes wearily, "I knew that I wasn't powerful enough..."

Luna's head snapped around, and she spun on the blanket, her hands coming up to grab his head and make him look at her, "This is not your fault, Ron, if anything, it's because you've become too powerful," he cocked his head slightly, she gave him a tentative smile, "You're too, grounded I guess, you have so much...inertia, in your magic, that I need to come up with a way to counteract it. If only there were red snapperwings on this world," she said plaintively, "I could..." Luna froze and took a sudden breath. "I am an idiot...Ron?"

"Yeah, Luna?" Ron asked hopefully, grateful for her mercurial forgiveness, "what, luv?"

"When we died here, our counterparts, that is, did they recover Harry or Voldemort's wand?" her head cocked to the side as her lips moved silently, "That could work, if of course Fawkes is in a good mood, the conduit would work, though it would have to be just the wand. I need a mocha." Luna stood abruptly and paced to the edge of the tower as Ron looked on, bemused. She drew her wand and conjured a mocha and started sipping it as he watched. She started to flick her wand in the air, and fiery letters and numbers appeared and vanished as fast as she wrote. Finally she stopped, nodded and took a deep drink.

"Um...I don't know," Ron said after a minute, "from what the Ginny here said; no one has been to Little Hangleton in seventeen years. "But what, how..."

"I'll need Harry or Voldemort's wand from this reality, a very large focusing crystal, most likely a permanent conjuring circle, gold if I can get enough to make it, and a steak and kidney pie," Luna went on as if she were only peripherally paying attention to Ron.

"Umm, why the pie?"

"I missed lunch," Luna replied matter-of-factly. She flicked her wand again and a long equation appeared, another wand flick and a parchment and quill appeared and started to copy down the equation. She turned and looked at Ron to find him looking back at her, she rolled her eyes, "It's simple, Ronald. Every burning day, which are more or less random, but usually at least once a year, Fawkes dies and is reborn. During that time, a phoenix is believed to be 'unlocked' from the sidereal universe. If I have one of the wands, both of which are from Fawkes, I can attract his attention and we can get a ride home." Luna shook her head, "You really should read more books, Ronald."

Ron just laughed softly, "Yes, dear."

And there you go...Next time, a bit of relaxation....

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7. A Step Back From the Abyss

A/N: Ok, I'm back...As usual, I only own the plot, and the insane number of orginal characters...Thanks as usual to Lady Starlight for taking the time to glance through this. Parts of this chapter have already been posted as Shooters, and yes, I was grinning as I posted it, as I hadn't admitted that this fic existed yet.

Chapter 6: A Step Back from the Abyss...

*************************Godric's Hollow*****************************

July 31, 2015

Emilia smiled to herself as she watched Sirius and Harriet walking along the lakeshore, talking. Gaheris paced at his mistress' heels, occasionally running in front to receive a rub from Sirius or Harriet, but typically more interested in exploring his new home. Emilia stopped and grinned, looking back over her shoulder just in time to see Xander appear behind her. She grinned as he kissed her nose; then settled in behind her. "So, what's the pool up to?"

Emilia snorted, as she watched Sirius swoop his hands through the air, describing the last game of last year, when Emilia had snatched the Snitch, securing the Quidditch Cup once more for Gryffindor. Last time I heard, it was somewhere in the neighborhood of five hundred Galleons. Emilia looked down at her right hand, at a deep green stone shimmering on there.

What do we have? Xander asked, kissing her hair, and pulling her back to him. She sighed quietly as he lightly drummed his fingers on her stomach just under the hem of her t-shirt. Hipper looked up at them from the ground and sat at her feet, patiently.

Both my folks and us have Christmas...we got the bet in to a different twin at the same time. Xander nodded, and Emilia pulled away slightly and took his hand as she started towards the house. They slipped into the house, through the kitchen and living room and through a door leading to one of the few, new aboveground sections that were added after the last total renovation following the fight with Voldemort here.

Emilia closed the door behind them and pressed a switch on the wall, waiting as a large door ground open to let light into the room. "Where's your dad's motorbike?" Xander asked as he looked around the oddly-normal looking garage, finding Hermione's BMW roadster, Emilia's old, restored '05 jeep and Harry's mustang from the same era, sitting there gathering dust, but no sign of the bike he had so long ago inherited from Sirius.

Emilia shrugged as she walked over to a mostly empty wall that held an eight-place rack partially filled with six brooms. One of them, Sirius', was ready to fall to the floor, she fixed it, setting it back more fully in the rack, before she turned to look at him with a small, knowing smile, "Mum and Dad have been full up since the attack on Diagon Alley...It's Dad's birthday, I'd expect they are off somewhere on the bike."

"Riding?" Xander asked with a small smirk.

Emilia snorted, and walked over to her mostly Muggle transportation, if one ignored the Flying, Invisibility and Waterproof Charms, along with the fact that it never really needed fuel, and started to root around in a storage compartment that served as her trunk, "I suppose that you could call it that," she replied, laughing.

"What are you looking for?"

Emilia turned and looked back over her shoulder at him, before she returned to the infinitely deep compartment, she pulled out a spare sheath for her sword, a pair of empty bottles of butterbeer, which she tossed at a bin set in the corner of the garage, they changed course in mid-flight to land neatly in the bin, a couple of books, a hardback edition of Time Enough for Love and a dog-eared copy of Remote Viewing for Fun and Profit, before she found a small, overnight bag. She set it up on the lip and dug through it. "Yes, it was here."

"What?" Xander asked warily.

Emilia grinned as she set the bag aside, and waved her hand, sending all the rest back to repack itself. "Oh, since Harriet and I are almost exactly the same build-"

"I hadn't noticed, really," Xander said a touch too quickly, and Emilia paced up to him, a single dark eyebrow crooked as she stopped and ran a finger along his jaw.

Her finger trailed upwards, until her fingers tangled in the hair on the back of his head and pulled his lips down to hers. She pulled away with a tiny gasp, I wasn't worried, she kissed his nose and turned back to pick up the bag, "As I was saying, before I was interrupted, an interruption that we will continue this evening..." Xander's slightly cocky grin was matched by her own, "Harriet and I are the same size, so I thought I'd lend her a swimsuit..."

"Which one?" Xander asked almost tentatively.

"That red one I had down at the beach, last month," Emilia replied and Xander took a deep, almost shuddering breath, as he remembered the suit that had almost kicked things off for them a few weeks early. A vision of her standing on the shore of the Atlantic with the wind whipping her hair about as she looked back at him, with a decidedly predatory glint in her eyes flitted across his mind. "Yep, that one," she confirmed as she read the thoughts.

"You are so going to cost us the bet..." Xander complained, "that is if you don't kill your brother."

Emilia made a soft huffing sound, and turned away, "I happen to love my brother, and I know not a damn thing will happen, though I would be glad to forfeit the money, you've seen them together...but he inherited that whole, I'm noble thing from Dad, he won't make a move until she hammers it into his skull...now that's an idea..." she mused and he sighed, following her out of the garage as the door closed behind them.

********************The Feisty Goat, Oxfordshire, England*******************

July 31, 2015
11:20 pm

"Bloody fucking hell," a tall, blonde-haired eighteen-year-old murmured almost reverently as his head snapped to the side, watching as a brunette, his age or maybe just a bare hair older, slipped past, stalking to the bar in this crowded club. He swallowed just slightly and tapped his friends with a hand holding a pint of Guinness, a pair dressed similarly to him, in Oxford campus togs, and gestured towards the young woman as she sat on an unoccupied bar stool and ordered some drink. It came in a tumbler, an amber liquid that she took a long sip from before she set it down on the bar, and crossed her legs, causing the already, near-felonious red and gold tartan pleated mini-skirt hanging low on her hips to ride up, showing her legs almost up to her hip. She leaned forward on the bar, stretching the material of the dark blue, cropped top she had on, across her back, and pulling the top up even further, exposing at least three inches of skin between it and the hem of her skirt.

The young woman spun on the stool and arched back, stretching to grab her drink with her right and drawing not a few eyes, of both genders, to the sight that afforded, of a stomach that was actually defined, not merely flat, and the tight cloth stretched across her chest by the motion. A flicker of light from the dance floor sparkled off a green jewel hung in her navel, and as she looked around and caught the hungry gazes of the trio, a flicker of some green light from the dance floor shimmered in dark eyes.

She gave them a small smile as she saw their attentions on her, and turned back to watching the dance floor. With a gesture to his friends, the youth started forward. His friends fell in at his shoulders as he stopped for a moment, a sly smile growing in his face. She turned her head unhurriedly, a single chestnut eyebrow crooking slowly. "Hello, boys," she breathed, but oddly they had no problem hearing her over the driving beat of song currently playing in the club.

"What's your name?" the original student asked, smirking slightly as he leaned on the bar.

Hermione snorted to herself, keeping the expression carefully off her face, "Hermione," she replied, a small sly smile on her face. "What's yours?"

"Tom," he replied, leaning on the bar next to her. He motioned to the bartender and towards Hermione, a shot slid down the bar to her. She ignored it.

"I knew a Tom, once," she replied, looking at the other two. "Didn't work out so well for him."

"I'm a totally different bloke," he replied, spreading his hands wide and grinning, "What'd say you call your roommate and tell them you won't be home tonight."

Hermione giggled, her left hand came up to cover her mouth, and as a platinum and gold band glinted in the dim lights, a gasp came from one of the students. She glanced around them, "Why don't you tell him yourself?" she asked, as Harry slipped around the trio. Hermione's legs uncrossed and her knees spread automatically as Harry stood between them and leaned down, helped by the fingers of her left hand tangled in his hair, to meet her lips. She groaned; her eyes slipping closed as his tongue slipped past her partially open lips to mate with hers.

Her back arched slightly, pressing into his chest, as her other hand reached behind his waist pulling him in to press against her. She broke the kiss, panting as she looked up at him though heavy, dark lashes, "What took you so long, baby?"

"Bloody loo was broke, had to go take a piss in the alley outside," Harry replied, as both of his hands slipped down behind her back to lightly cup her arse, and pull her forcefully into him. She moaned quietly, letting her head loll to the side, as his lips and teeth lightly played on a throbbing pulse point. Eyes gone almost black scanned around the room.

Her head spun as she heard a familiar voice, the very reason they had traveled here in fact, on Sirius' old Harley that stood propped in the parking lot outside, "OI, LADS AND LASSIES, SHOTS!" Hermione looked back at Seamus Finnegan's ruddy face and signaled him. He laughed and slid a small tray, already bearing a saltshaker, several cut-up lemons, and several poured shots, along with an almost full bottle of Jose Cuervo Black.

Seamus was a born bartender, ever since he first blew off his eyebrows trying to produce rum from water. But it was only after his wife of two years at the time decided to attend the nearby Stonehenge University for Advanced Sorcery, that he had discovered his calling. He had begun working at this pub, an old one that had catered to both Muggles and their Magical brethren at the respective schools near here, while Padma worked on a degree in spell design. After two years, while she received her first degree, he was the manager, and after another two and a half while she got her doctorate, he was the owner, buying out the old owner so he could retire in a wizard commune in the British Virgin Islands.

Seamus had renovated the pub, expanding it, and adding a dance floor and music, with sound systems carefully shielded by his wife, her sister and Hermione. This shielding was to protect them from the occasional unintentional bursts of magic that an inebriated and...aroused wizard or witch was wont to do. Now, it was one of the main hangouts for Stonehenge, not that any of the Muggles would ever know due to a specially tailored Fidelius variant, and a popular destination for the Oxford crowd.

The particular bar had another advantage, amazingly enough, Harry and Hermione could normally not be bothered here, besides the occasional attempt to pick one or the both of them up, as the Muggles thought they were students due to their apparent age. Any witch or wizard who would have bothered them, risked Seamus' displeasure. New patrons were never, told of this rule, they all just seemed to know.

Hermione smirked and waggled her eyebrows at Harry, Come on, Harry, Hermione wheedled. He just nodded and his head darted forward to kiss her. Beyond them, the music changed to an old, to them Weird Sisters hit, Magic Works. The band had, following in the footsteps of the Stones almost sixty years before, crossed to the Muggle side as well. Hermione let out a whoop of surprise as Harry picked her up by the waist and set her on the bar, before standing between her legs to kiss her again. Seamus just rolled his eyes, and gave his wife a kiss as she slipped out from a back room, her dark eyes glittering with mirth at the sight.

"Well, lass are you going to do the shot, or are you just going to shag on the bar?" Seamus hollered as he and Padma came up to stand behind Hermione. Seamus took a shot from the tray and slammed it, shuddering slightly as it burned on the way down. He laughed as one of Harry's hands, which had been running just along the top edge of Hermione's skirt, rose and flipped him the bird.

Hermione smirked slightly as she pulled back, and licked her lips slowly, her eyes sparkling as she laughed at Harry's expression. Her head shot forward, fastening on the side of his neck, sucking slightly for an instant before she reached back to find a saltshaker filling her hand. A moment later, a small, pink tongue ran along the pulse she found hammering there. Hermione sat back, took the shot Seamus handed her and tossed it back, laughing as she found Harry with a lemon slice in his teeth. Her eyes closed as she sucked the lemon to the rind, before kissing his nose and setting back.

A cheer came from several of the nearby patrons as Hermione raised the empty shot glass and slammed it on the counter. She cocked her head challengingly at Harry, and just laughed as he laced the fingers of one hand with her left. His eyes held hers as he pulled her left wrist to his lips and sucked at her pulse. She shuddered, her eyes slipping mostly closed as a faint glow seemed to fill them, and arched towards him. Hermione took a long breath as several of the nearby patrons found it abnormally hot in the bar. Harry grinned and sprinkled a line of salt along the inside of her wrist, before running his tongue from the base of her fingers halfway up her arm.

He held out a hand for the shot, but Hermione shook her head and grabbed one instead. Her bottom lip half-twisted as she held it between her teeth, and leaned back on the bar, half reclining and sucking in her stomach slightly to form a shallow bowl. Her eyes bored into his as she slowly poured the shot into the bowl of her stomach. "Well?" she whispered, and gasped as Harry bent forward, and slowly lapped the fiery liquor up, making sure to gather every single drop. The fingers of her left hand tangled in his hair, as he made sure her belly button was dry, and tugged gently on her ring with his tongue.

Hermione rolled upright, a lemon slice in her teeth and growled quietly as he leaned up and sucked the lemon to the pulp. Hermione spat the rind to the floor as Harry straightened and raised the empty glass to a raucous cheer. Hermione laughed again and darted down, taking his head between her hands and snogging him forcefully.

Behind the bar, Padma sighed and took a drag off a Guinness, gesturing towards the former Head Students, "I'd not believed you, if you told me that fifth year. The being together, I could have believed, even though they were good at hiding it, but the public display?" she shrugged.

Seamus nodded, as he made a Slippery Nipple for a customer and handed it off, making change absently, he glanced over at the pair still making out on his bar, and then at a few other college students that seemed intrigued by their example, "Can you call over to the inn, sweetheart," he lowered his voice as he motioned for his other bartender to take over, he ran two or three on Friday and Saturday nights, "I don't care who they are, they ain't driving, flying or Apparating anywhere tonight."

Padma snorted, before kissing him deeply, "Sure, dear," and pulling away.

"We'll be finishing that later, lass," he called after her as she started towards the back to make the call.

She stopped at the door, and turned, running her eyes slowly down his body and then back up, "You better believe it, your daughter is at the Lupins visiting Abby...we have the whole house to ourselves..."

************************Godric's Hollow***********************
August 1, 2015
3:15 am

Sirius Potter sat in a soft pool of white light, in the midst of his otherwise dim room, a paperback book open in his hands as he sat with his back against his headboard and read of fantastic adventures far away. Adventures, because they were happening to someone else far, far away, a thousand years in the future. He set aside the fifteenth novel in a long, long series by an American science fiction author with a main character with the same name as one of Ginny's year mates and stretched.

He yawned slightly, having unknowingly reached this late hour buried in the pages of a book, which of course he had only started in on, because he could not sleep in the first place, his mind on the room across the hall from his, the former guest room. He sighed softly as he stood from the bed, slipping over to the large window that overlooked the grounds, and reached up, lightly running his fingers over Natasha's feathers. She gave him a small hoot, before shaking her head slightly and launching from her pedestal, heading out for the night's hunt.

The window opened and closed automatically, letting her free into the night. Sirius watched out the window until she vanished from view before slipping back to his bed and falling back on it. He looked over at the book, deciding whether or not to read a touch more or let himself drift off, having reached that point where it was almost as easy to stay awake as to let himself fall asleep, when a muted cry came from outside of his room. His heart hammered somewhere in the vicinity of his Adam's apple as he recognized the voice, even as he rolled off the bed, barely remembering to call his wand to his hand as he moved to the door and out into the hall.

Another moaned shout came from the barely cracked door to the former guest room, a distinct difference from the absolute silence issuing from his sister's no-doubt silenced room. Sirius took a breath and pushed the door open, slipping inside. He took a breath, instantly taking in the room.

The room had been redecorated for its new inhabitant, in blues and reds. A large bookshelf sat next to a doorway leading to a small bathroom, it was already filled with books on every subject Hogwarts had had ever taught, along with more than a few that it never would have thought about. A large moon glowed softly in an enchanted ceiling, it's image slightly distorted by the slow whir of a fan.

A large dog bed sat empty at the foot of a platform bed. The covers were kicked to the floor, as the girl that filled the bed flipped and turned, "Mummy..." she muttered shaking slightly in her sleep. Sirius moved closer and a pair of faintly glowing blue eyes looked at him from near the foot of the bed. Gaheris whined softly as he looked up towards his mistress, then towards Sirius as if begging him to help, somehow. "I don't want to leave, Mummy...I want to be with you..."

Sirius bit his lip, and looked between Harriet and her familiar, not sure what to do, other that he had to do something. Harriet settled down abruptly, and Sirius let out a sigh, letting loose a breath he had not known he was holding. He watched her sleep for a bit, his heart pounding for some reason, before he turned to leave.

"NO..." Harriet cried, and broke into quiet sobs. "Leave him alone...The dark lady, comes " she muttered, "You can't have him...I've just found him..." She started to shake, a soft whimpering sound mixing with the one from her Familiar. She rolled on her side and started to shake, kicking off the last sheet that covered her and nailing Gaheris in the jaw with her foot. He took the blow and did not move as Sirius slipped to the edge of the bed. He reached over and touched her shoulder.

Harriet twisted like a snake, her wand appearing in her hand as if by magic. His own wand flicked, just in time to send a red bolt crashing into the ceiling. Her eyes looked blankly at him for a long moment, the tip of her wand lit red and pointing at a spot between his eyes. She blinked, "Siri..." she whispered disbelievingly, "I...I thought you were dead...The dark lady, she..."

Sirius reached forward and gently plucked her wand from numb fingers. The glow faded slowly away as he closed his eyes and pulled the charge of magic into himself. His breath hitched as he felt the tiny spike of her magic blend with his own. He set her wand on the nightstand nearest him, and looked at her, "I'm fine, Harriet, you just had a nightmare..."

"Are you sure?" she whispered, her voice revealing both her desire to believe him and the doubt that she could, that this was not another dream. He nodded, and she settled down, watching him. Her grey eyes were wide as he started to get up from the bed.

"I'll let you..."

"Can you stay, just until I get to sleep?" Harriet asked, "Please?"

He nodded and walked around the bed, to sit against the headboard on the empty side of the bed. Harriet rolled over to face him, and slowly reached one hand towards his as he slumped down slightly. "Just until you go to sleep," Sirius replied with a miniscule nod, almost as if he were convincing himself. She nodded with a faint grin and closed her eyes. Sirius watched as her breathing evened out almost instantly, falling into the deep patterns of sleep. I'll just stay here for a few minutes, he yawned, scooting down the bed until he was lying on his side facing her. He yawned again, closing his eyes, just for an instant.

7:15 am

An errant beam of sunlight slipped in through the curtains and Sirius opened his eyes slowly, and just for an instant, panicked, as the only color in sight was red. He let out a sharp breath, and watched the color dance in his vision, just as the rest of his body woke enough to inform him of an oddly comfortable weight covering one side of his body. This rather nice...He took a sudden, sharp breath as his brain finally woke fully, and realized that a soft, warm body was the source of the mysterious weight. I don't want to move her; maybe I can pretend that I'm asleep...

Harriet stirred on his shoulder as his eyes flicked closed and stretched, and somehow Sirius knew that he really wanted to see that sight, but kept his eyes closed anyway. He almost groaned as her weight left his side as she moved away from him. He felt a soft pressure on his cheek and then the bed shifted a bit as she rolled out of it, "Thank you, my prince," a quiet voice filled his ear before he heard the door to the closet open and a soft rustling come from within. A moment later, the door to the bathroom opened and closed and the sound of running water could be heard, softly through the closed door.

Sirius rapidly rolled to his feet, and moved to the door, stumbling over at least one non-existent crack in the floor before making it there. He looked back once towards the bed, and took a long breath, not daring to meet the eyes of Harriet's Familiar who, for some reason as he sat on the bed, looked back with a huge canine smile on his face.

********************** Oxfordshire, England*******************

August 1, 2015
9:20 am

A beam of sunlight stabbed its way through mostly pulled shades, driving inexorably towards, an almost totally concealed, of what could be this day at least, charitably called a thicket of chestnut hair. A soft, exasperated groan slipped from parched lips as she blearily pried open a bloodshot, chocolate eye. Bloody hell, Hermione snapped, then moaned softly as she closed her eye as quickly as it had opened, too bright...What the hell...oww...she growled as a sudden spike of fire shot through her head

Very, very slowly, she tunneled under the covers until she found a mop of inky hair. With a small pout, she pushed on his shoulder, shaking him, until a tired groan came from the direction of the pillow. Harrryyyy...Hermione whined, it hurts to think...

Then stop thinking, Harry replied sensibly, if quite slowly.

I can't...oww...Hermione pushed on his shoulders again, setting up a vibration, that caused her entire universe, which currently consisted of Harry, a bed that she did not quite know where it was, and herself, to sway dangerously. She stopped, swallowing heavily, I'm meee...she let herself drop fully on his back and paused, staring cross-eyed at the back of his neck. She watched her breath move the hairs on the back of his head around for a bit, I wonder if....oww...

Told you to stop, Harry snorted into his pillow, shaking them both. Hermione swallowed heavily and Harry, very, very slowly rolled over to hold her still. Hermione, I will still love you if you puke on me, but please, don't...

I can't stop...Hermione moaned, even as another part of her always-busy mind insisted that they should get up, and do something. A fresh spike of pain hammered through her brain, almost as if punishing her, as her mind drifted to what their kids were doing. She dropped her face to his neck. You could help me, she said after several minutes had passed punctuated only by their breathing, she started to nuzzle his neck, and move her hips slightly, it'll...oww...help me to stop, thinking.

I can't move that much, Harry objected, my head will fall off and roll across the floor...

Which one, Hermione quipped, then groaned, I only need the lower one...She pushed herself up on her arms, shakily, the world wobbled...That was a mistake...her scenery suddenly changed, a heartbeat before she let go, her shoulders heaving as she felt most everything she had ate since she was twelve suddenly decide to revisit her. She took a breath, shuddering on the edge of a white ceramic monolith, and proceeded to loose everything else, up to and including her first ice cream cone she had when she was two. She took in a deep breath and looked over at him out of the corner of her eye as he handed her a glass of water. She swished it around her mouth before spitting it in the bowl. I love you, she muttered as she let the cool tile floor of wherever the hell they were sooth her, but this has to be your fault, I would never get this sloshed on my own...

Harry smiled. He sat back against a tile backsplash and pulled her onto his lap, I think the body shots were your idea, Love. You wanted to go to that college pub...you are 35, Mione...

Hermione curled on his lap like a large, rather exhausted kitten, Hush you...she smirked slightly, the nausea and pain, at least most of it, gone along with her lunch and dinner, I'll have you know, that Poppy said I was eighteen--twenty, biologically, just last week... Hermione reached down between them and slowly danced fingers along the lines of his stomach. How many of those girls in that pub could say they share clothes with their daughter, honestly.

None, Harry allowed, he pulled back to look at her slightly, squinting through bloodshot eyes, Are you, alright, Hermione?

Never better, she muttered, not meaning it and knowing that he knew that she did not mean it. Harry...

Umm, he responded eloquently, closing his eyes as she leaned against his shoulder, and made quiet, contented sounds.

We're naked, we stink, and we are sitting on a bathroom floor, Hermione observed, a slight lecturing tone slipping into her voice as she regained sentience. She looked up from his shoulder, using just her eyes, we should take a shower...but it's all the way over there, she added plaintively as she found the pristine white stall mocking them from four or five feet away. Carry me, baby, pleeeaaaseee....

I got us here, Harry objected, I thought this was an equal relationship. He sighed as he forced his way to his feet, and more or less carried her to the shower, setting her somewhat shakily on her feet, before he leaned against the wall of the shower. Hermione made a small gesture, and lukewarm water rained down on them, instantly drenching her hair, to hang heavily along her spine.

Hermione slowly moved backwards under the spray until her back hit the cool stone of the wall, before reaching up to pull his face to hers. Harrryyy, baby...she looked down, smirking slightly as her fingers danced and a certain portion of his anatomy greeted her. She looked back up at his eyes, and reached up with her other hand, to move sodden black strands out of his eyes, Such a good boy...

He just grinned as he took a breath, and slowly let his hands trail down her sides to cup her bum.

She nodded, holding his eyes with hers, as they both lit in tandem, filling with a rush of magic. Hermione gasped as the rush of magic swept the remnants of last night's revelry from her. She sighed contently as she reached forward without moving and tangled her thoughts with his. Please, Harry, she murmured even as she felt the near-orgasmic rush of the Contraception Charm take hold.

If you're sure.

Very, she murmured, and purred softly as she wrapped a long leg around his hip and pulled him against her, rubbing along his body like a cat claiming its territory. Hermione reached down between them and began stroking him, moving her hand until he groaned and dropped his head to her shoulder.

Miiiooonne, he growled, and she pulled his head up to kiss him.

She gasped once more as he slipped into her in one practiced movement; even as he reached down to lift her up under her arse. Wrapping her other leg around his waist instantly, she dropped her head to his shoulder, as he started to rock into her, content to let him hold her up.

A familiar feeling of warmth filled her belly and her mind, possibly even more the latter, as she started to rock back against him only her upper back in contact with the marble of the shower.

F...faster...h...Harry, Hermione squeaked, 'breathlessly', and just hung on as he followed her command. She let one hand fall down between them to touch herself where they were joined. An odd tingling danced along the base of her spine, as Harry's nerves spilled over to hers, and she increased her own ministrations.

Her eyes glowed brighter as she felt the warmth begin to send streamers of fire to her extremities, meeting the ones rushing back at her. She took a breath and cried out his name, as she crashed, convulsing in his arms as her mind collapsed in rush of color.

Harry groaned into her neck as he managed two more thrusts and let go, pulled along by the feeling of her coming undone around her. A shimmering pulse of magic ripped out from them, sending a wave of water into the room. Harry slowly slid to the floor of the shower, still holding Hermione in his lap.

She kissed him even as her vision returned, pulling back to rest her forehead against his. See...a great hangover cure, Hermione giggled softly, and Harry snorted, before lifting his lips to kiss her forehead.

He looked up as the shower started to cool, and muttered a charm, instantly warming it. I don't know, Harry grinned, letting his eyes slowly pan down his wife's body, watching the trails of water as they channeled down her chest, followed the lines of her abs to slip away through her legs. Her eyes followed his as she felt him come back to life, I might need another dose.

Hermione sighed theatrically, before her eyes became serious, You're lucky that I'll do anything for you.

I know, he replied threading his fingers through her hair briefly marveling at the slickness of the wet locks. It's brilliant really. He let his fingers trail down her back, I love you. Hermione just kissed him in response, holding it as they started to dance once more.

**********************Godric's Hollow*******************************

9:20 am

Emilia stretched leisurely, and moved closer to the warm body under the sheets as Hipper woke up and jumped from the foot of the bed, before he paced to the door, waited as a cat door appeared and vanished through it. She kissed Xander's shoulder and snuggled closer, resting her lips against the base of his neck and breathing in his scent, smiling in her half-slumber at feeling of safely he fostered in her heart.

The cat door vanished again as she licked her lips, her eyes still closed. I wonder when Mum and Dad are getting back...I still have to give Dad his present, she thought sleepily. I really need to get up, she added after a moment, prying one eye open to look across at her clock which flashed: "Its 9:20, you should have been up hours ago, you lazy bugger." She sighed quietly and with a thought, sent the clock across the room to shatter against the wall. Xander stirred slightly before settling back down, she smiled tolerantly at him, Poor baby's tired out...I told him he couldn't keep at it a fourth time. Though...I am glad that Sirius and Harriet were outside all day...that little living room incident could have been...uncomfortable.

Unconsciously, her eyes moved to one side, as if she could see to the living room, We did make a mess, I better get around to cleaning up down there...

A quiet, tentative knock came from her door, and her door opened slowly as Harriet's eyes slipped around the sill. She flushed slightly as she saw Emilia in bed with Xander, but continued in anyway. "Hi, Em," Harriet said brightly, at a normal tone. Xander stirred in the bed, grunting something and Emilia frankly held her finger to her lips as she rolled on her back and sat up against the headboard.

"We're naked here, Harriet," Xander muttered, loudly, from under the covers, "do you mind?"

"No, not at all," Harriet replied, with a beatific smile, "I like Sirius, but you are entirely pleasant to look at, go on with what you need to do," she looked at Em as the black-haired girl quickly hid her face behind her hands to fight the giggles that were threatening to erupt.

"What did you need, Harriet?" Em asked, bending down to grab a t-shirt from the floor next to the bed and slipping it on. Xander muttered something under his breath, and she picked up an unused pillow and covered the back of his head with it.

Harriet shrugged, "I was wondering if you and I could go...back to that mall you mentioned, we never got there, the other day."

"You woke us up for shopping?" Xander groaned. Emilia held up a hand, picked up the pillow guarding Xander's head and whacked his back with it. "Ow...what was that for?"

"You know," Emilia replied, then looked back at Harriet. Em looked at her newfound "sister" for a minute, watching as Harriet slowly curled a lock of hair around and around her index finger. Emilia grinned, "We'll pick something out to knock him on his arse..."

"Oi," Xander muttered, "You don't need that, two charms, that's all... Inconceivious and Silencio..." Emilia whacked him with the pillow again, "Now damn it, I'm right...."

"Shut up, Xander," both girls said sharply and he sighed...

"Fine...though you are right, I guess, he is pretty thick," Xander growled and reached back, holding onto the pillow with both hands.

"Oh, Merlin I hope so," Harriet said absently as her eyes glanced towards the bathroom door that Emilia and her brother shared. Emilia went a touch green at the thought as Harriet continued to look in that direction with a soft, almost rapturous look on her face. Xander groaned again, and reached down, pulling the covers over his head as well. Emilia giggled at his discomfiture and crossed over to her closet to slip on a pair of shorts, before taking Harriet's hand and leading her from the room, towards hers, to plan.

************************Somewhere near Inverness***********************

A tall, cloaked figure strode quickly down a dark corridor, the heels of tall, dragonhide boots clacking against the ancient wood floor. A black-haired witch followed at his heels, looking over at him every few instants. Without a pause, he slipped through an open door at the end of the corridor, and around a tall, two-level room. Gas lights flared to life, casting down a soft glow on a library filled with books.

A cold, almost cloying presence seemed to slip from the walls of books, some of which seemed to writhe in place, moving without moving as if they were not quite there. The cloaked man moved to the center of the room, and stopped at a table, holding a pile of books. He moved aside a large tome with the dark title Evisceration Magic and looked at a month-old copy of the Daily Prophet.

Slowly a long finger traced around the circular, animated picture in the center of the issue, the three young women in the picture looked up at him, glaring. His finger slowly traced towards a sixteen-year-old witch, her hair the same color as the flames burning lowly in the corner fireplace, "She is mine," he announced with a dark glee. His long finger slowly caressed the face of the young witch. The tiny image tried to slip away, tried to escape the photograph, but failed as his fingers cut her off. "She will make a fine companion..."

"But I...she is not worthy of you, my..."

"Quiet," he said softly, almost tenderly as he turned to the female companion with him. The tiny witch in the picture vanished as his fingers left the paper, escaping the frame as he reached up and slowly stroked the black-haired woman's cheek, she groaned softly as a faint glow lit his fingers, "No, you may have many charms, but hers are fresh and unspoiled...a pureblood seer...it has been years since one has been so ready for," he laughed softly, a dark almost hiss underneath his voice, "So ready to take her place."

"She is a blood-traitor, the daughter of blood-traitors..."

"In the end, she will be mine, or she will die. She will not have a choice." He let the paper drop back to the table, and crossed to a tall, leather chair set in front of the fireplace and dropped into it. He lowered the hood of his cloak and stared into the flames of the hearth, watching as the unnecessary fire crackled and popped. Dark eyes caught the light of the flames, and just for an instant seemed to turn a sullen, searing red. He looked up at Bellatrix with a crooked, wry smile, his eyes twinkling darkly, under neatly-styled, ink-black hair. "Your jealousy is unbecoming, now leave me."

Bellatrix snarled something under her breath, but turned on her heel and left, slamming the heavy door behind her. The unknown wizard smiled towards the door, before raising his hand to catch a heavy tome that shot from the shelves. He opened it and began to read, laughing softly under his breath.

***************************Hogwarts**************************

August 7, 2015

On the grounds of the ancient school there were many mysteries, even to this day, after a thousand years of continuous occupation. Mysteries ranging from were the founders really entombed somewhere in the vast expanse of the castle, to where the Weasley twins, Fred and George that is, kept their immense treasure of illicit Firewhisky, to exactly how did the House Elves manage to pick up the rooms, without touching clothes.

The guardian of all of that, all of those mysteries, wonders, and a few dangers, was not able to concentrate on those, but was instead walking along the lake, a habit he had regained in the years since his "rebirth". Many of his agemates, had they survived, would not have recognized him, the almost hundred-and-eighty-year-old wizard, moved spryly along the trail, dressed in Muggle jeans and a flowered shirt. He paused as he stopped next to an old birch tree and smiled slightly as he found, carved into the bark, a pair of hearts, set slightly apart from each other. The lower one held an intertwined JP and LE, with the upper, an obviously newer one, displayed a single set of initials, HJP. Dumbledore chuckled, as always, at the slight joke.

"You are a little too old to be pacing around the lake, Albus," a soft, slightly amused burr said from the edge of the trees surrounding the lake. He turned as Minerva McGonagall approached, moving more like a rather spry forty-year-old than her real years, courtesy of the regeneration of her hips and leg bones, along with many of her muscles and nerves after the battle here seventeen years ago.

"You look much more...relaxed with your hair down, Minerva," Dumbledore said, and she gave him a small smile. He looked back over the waters that had seen so much over the years, "As to your point, youth is a state of mind, Minerva, you should know that better than anyone."

"You are still a barmy, old codger," she retorted, snorting softly as she watched him flick his fingers in her direction, and a comfortable chair appeared. She sat and took a cup from the tea service that appeared in the air next to her. Minerva took a dainty sip, watching over her cup as Dumbledore sat in another chair across from her, and held his hand out. A cup floated over, and landed in his hand.

"I have been accused of worse," he admitted and took a drink of his tea, before leaning back and glancing over his shoulder towards the black lake. He looked back at her, and watched as she crooked a single eyebrow. He sighed, "We have known each other for far too long for pretenses, Minerva. I was out here, because my office has become confining of late. That and I seem to have worn a track in the carpet and the elves kicked me out to fix it." A rare smile slipped across her lips. It fell as Dumbledore frowned into his cup, "I have kept too many secrets in my life, three wars worth, and now, I am afraid that I am looking at a fourth. I kept the prophesy from Harry, I kept Sirius from him, and his true parentage for years. I kept so many other things from him...I knew that the Weasleys were alive far longer than he or Hermione did, but I kept the secret, because once again, I was trying to decide for him, to protect him."

"Is it going to be that bad, really, Albus?" McGonagall asked, "Can they really expect to stand against all of us, against you and the Potters? And all of the rest?"

"It very well could be, it could be. I assume that you have the preparations for the upcoming year well in hand, Minerva?" She nodded warily, and he gave her a smile. "Very well, I am to leave those preparations in your capable hands...

"Like you do every year," she muttered and he pretended not to hear. Minerva glanced back up towards the castle, where hundreds of house-elves, many of them paid these days, worked on getting the classrooms, dorms and other facilities ready for another year. "Will you have a staff meeting to address these, concerns before the start of the year?"

Dumbledore shook his head, "No, for now, I think that the knowledge that we have should be held close, make arrangements, yes, but keep them to yourself and Neville."

Minerva frowned and took a sip of her tea. "Not everyone is Severus, Albus. You were wrong once. There are hundreds, thousands of people that you were right about." She watched him out of the corner of her eye as he drank his tea, "How about Miss Weasley, she will be here soon, her existence is still a secret. At least to exactly whom her parents are. She will be the object of attention...Rita has already written at least one article about her. The cover story that she is a cousin or some such will not hold up."

"She is a Weasley, Minerva, and she is already a Gryffindor, she will attend under her own name, anything else would be an insult to her parentage," Dumbledore responded with the utter implacability of a glacier. He set his teacup in the air next to him, and steepled his fingers in front of his face, "There is another issue we need to discuss in regards with a pair of your Gryffindors."

McGonagall sighed, "They couldn't have waited until next year?" She shook her head as she finished her tea and set it on the silver platter that floated over to her, "Unless she gets in a duel with Draco or some other nonsense, she will be Head Girl, and there really would have been no opposition to him, not a real one anyway, but now..."

Dumbledore nodded as if answering a question he had asked of himself, "Perhaps, we can use the situation to our advantage, Minerva." She looked over at him quizzically, "It is known that they are under the most serious threat, being whose children they are, perhaps they should be segregated for their own good."

"It won't work," she replied after a minute's reflection, "because we'd have to move half of the house to special housing to make that excuse to work, not to mention, a few from Filius' house." She stood, and looked down at him, "Though I suppose if I say nothing, nature will take its course...Neville has a remarkably similar outlook on such...affairs, to what Remus had during his brief tenure as Head of Gryffindor House." Dumbledore chuckled as she glanced unconsciously up towards the Tower, "As if I didn't know what they were up to, that year. I knew the first morning one of the elves popped in, panicked when one of my seventh year girls' dorms was empty. They thought that all of them had been kidnapped or some such thing."

A/N: Ok, there you go...exactly what is going on here....hmmmmm.....Next chapter, Harry and Hermione get back to work, and we might even see Ron and Luna again...

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8. Chapter 7: A Past Not of Our Own

A/N: Another week, another chapter. Let us see what we can get up to. As usual I really own nothing. Thanks to Lady Starlight for her work on this chapter. And yep, I do know where I'm going with this. And now back to the adventures of the extraordinarily powerful Potter family.
Chapter 7: A Past not of Our Own
**************************Elsewhere******************************

August 8, 2015
2:20 pm

Beyond the looking glass, a slim woman slid from the back of a black, winged, reptilian horse as it settled to the ground in a long-abandoned cemetery. She reached up and patted its nose before removing a plastic bag from a small pack, and opening it. Luna reached into the bag and pulled loose a large, bloody steak and offered it to her steed, giggling softly as it ate the meat in a single bite and proceeded to gently lick the blood from her fingers.

She looked up as a second Thestral alighted next to her and hers, and Ron slipped to the ground, patting his flying horse. He walked over to her, and looked up towards a run-down, large manor home.

Luna swallowed slightly as a sudden shiver ran down her spine, settling in the pit of her stomach. She leaned back against him as he stood close behind her and wrapped his arms around her. "We never came here, did we, not really," Ron said quietly in her ear, reaching up with one hand to slowly, continually, brush a loose strand behind her right ear. Luna shook her head silently and stepped forward, taking his hand and drawing her wand with the other.

Slowly, they moved up a grassy, overgrown hill, and started along an old, garden path, one that looked as if it had not been tended in many, many years. She shivered even more as she slipped through an invisible ward, still there after all the years. Ron looked back at her, concern in his eyes, but she waved his hands away and moved quickly, purposefully, towards the door of the Manor house.

A large, thick English Oak door barred her way for a bare instant before a blue bolt hammered out of her wand and sent burning splinters into the air, and dropping the two-inch-thick door into four pieces into the dark interior of the house. She stepped through the door behind her wand, knowing Ron was at her back, and into an utterly destroyed room. A shattered carved staircase led up to a large landing a floor up. She took a sharp breath as she kicked something in her path, looked down, and found white bone sticking out from the sleeve of an empty robe.

Ron looked over from across the room, where he was kneeling next to the remains of another Death Eater, this one with it's skull lying a half dozen paces away, "Harry was here," he said flatly.

"We all were," she replied, no trace of airiness in her tone. She stood from examining another Death Eater. She held up a wand in her hand and showed it to Ron, tilting it so he could see the silver trim to the ebony wand, "Looks like Lucius survived to meet his end with his master, here." She pocketed it and looked towards a dark set of stairs leading down off of the main room. Seventeen-year-old remains of Death Eaters led a path from the door to the stairs and both Ron and Luna could almost see the events of that long ago night, even though none had survived to give a first-hand account.

She flicked her wand in the air and a blue-white glowing orb appeared, sending out a spill of pure white light. The orb filled the room with brightness and razor-edged black shadows as it hovered at her shoulder and she started down the stairs. Ron followed her as she stepped over several empty, ruined robes. The soft skittering sound of rats and other vermin filled the stairs as she kept moving, turning in a slow spiral as she moved down and down, passing several landings, following a feeling in her gut.

Ron grunted something as they cut through walls of cobwebs, and she turned back to give him a small smile. He muttered something unintelligible and probably unprintable as he followed her.

They took two more turns around the spiral and stopped, stepping out into a black cavern. The bright white light from Luna's Illumination Sphere cast out twenty meters and stopped, as if being sucked into a black hole. Luna shivered again, her breath shortening as she staggered...her vision swirled as she collapsed to her knees... "LUNA," Ron screamed and dove to her side, his wand clattering to the ground next to him as he pulled her onto his lap.

Luna looked up with unseeing, glowing eyes, as she looked back in time...the darkness surrounding her swirled and shook as she felt herself being drawn forward without moving...

Harry stood shakily, he looked down, seeing Hermione's lifeless body, and already feeling the life start to drain away from him, pulling him away from here to follow her. He looked over, spotting his wand sitting on the ground at Voldemort's feet. He took a shaky breath as he tightened his grip on the Gryffindor Sword; then glanced back at the pair crumpled near the entrance, the bodies of a dozen Death Eaters on the ground around them.

Luna felt herself standing, looking down at herself and Ron, her doubles from this universe lying in a pool of blood. Immediately, she could see differences in the pair below her. Her long, blonde hair was cut short, with a pair of red streaks dyed in it, Ron's leg was bandaged, his left hand gone and replaced with a silver, metal prosthetic. She reached down to touch her own head and saw her hand pass through. She swallowed, looking up and around and blinked rapidly as she watched the end. She watched as Harry took a Crucio as he charged, and did not even slow, as he spun, the sword lifting and Voldemort died in an explosion of light and magic, tossing Harry back across the room.

Luna felt tears speckle her eyes as she saw him lift up on his arms shakily and crawl over to Hermione. He whispered something she did not catch and collapsed on top of her. She saw his aura flicker and vanish, the bright hidden light she had first seen from afar in a bespectacled boy walking between her King and the woman would become her sister, gone.

"I knew someone would come...eventually," a soft soprano said, cutting through the darkness. Luna looked up, and bit her lip, blinking rapidly as she found tears in her eyes again. Hermione stood there, but unlike the one she could see still lying under Harry, her life's blood mixing with his, the one standing wore a pure white shift, her hair was clean and hanging down her spine in easy waves. A ring glinted on her hand as she knelt, and unlike Luna, her hand did not slip through when she touched Harry's cheek.

She straightened and walked over to Luna, "Though I admit that I rather expected someone else. I always thought that Albus' death never made sense, or maybe Remus or someone else would have found us..." she looked down at the other Luna and then back up. Her eyes widened slightly, "Oh, I see...I had considered that as a last resort, but I knew Harry wouldn't run...that I wouldn't really..." She took a breath, "Did your Harry, the one in your universe...did he live?"

Luna nodded, knowing what she was really asking, "Yes, they did, they have a couple of sprogs now, ours is with them."

The other Hermione nodded, smiling faintly as she looked back to Harry then back at Luna, "Good, that was the one thing I could never afford to give him, the one thing I wanted more than anything...I suppose it was for the best. Why are you here then?"

"I need Harry or Riddle's wands," Luna replied, softly, still shaken as she looked down at Ron's body.

Dark brown eyes flickered as thoughts slipped around in this memory's thoughts, "You are going to try to use one of the wands to link to Fawkes are you, to take you home?" Luna just nodded. "Very well...they are over there..." the memory looked back towards Harry, "He was so brave...we weren't ready, not really, but we had destroyed all the Horcruxes and we couldn't wait. We fought our way in, Ron took out Bella and Lucius on the way in, and Harry...Harry was amazing, brilliant...it was almost lovely, in a dark way. Dolohov appeared in our way, and Harry didn't even break stride...it was like watching Dumbledore in his prime."

"Why are you here?"

"I wanted to be ready, I always was...except this time." The image of Hermione, looked back, holding her eyes, "Get the wands, and get home, get back to them...Harry and I loved you, Luna," she added as the image faded and Luna felt herself crash back into her body. She panted slightly, focusing on reintegrating into herself.

She looked up at Ron, "Let's get them and get out of here, Ronnie," Luna whispered and he nodded, running his fingers along her cheek. After a minute she pushed herself to her feet, and she moved, arrow-straight towards a far, dark corner.

Luna stopped as found a pair of empty cloaks, laying on top of each other. She knelt and with the tip of her wand, moved the robes about, and found nothing save a golden locket with "HJP" inscribed on one side. She looked up and back as a loud, metallic CLANK, came from somewhere behind, "I found Harry's sword," Ron said almost silently, Luna nodded, swallowing slightly, as he slipped it into a bottomless pouch at his side.

Luna pointed around with the tip of her wand for a moment longer then sighed, suddenly remembering she was a witch, with rolled eyes at her own stupidity, she flicked her wand in the air, and a beat later, a pair of wands shot out of the darkness. She grimaced slightly as Voldemort's twisted; ebony one reached her first, before Harry's appeared next, dropping lightly into her waiting hand. She quickly conjured a small, sealed bag and levitated Voldemort's into it, and sealed it with a flick of her wand. She slipped Harry's inside her shirt, holding it as far away from Voldemort's as she could by some unknown instinct. "Let's go, Ronald."

The ride back to the school was silent, not a word passed between the pair, despite their mounts flying close enough for easy conversation. Luna spent her entire trip with her head buried in the mane of her steed, murmuring nonsense words.

After two hours, the pair, frozen and exhausted slid from their mounts as they back beat to a halt on the thin beach surrounding the Black Lake. Ron looked over at his wife as she slid to the rocky shore, huddled against a non-existent cold and sent the Thestral on its way. Both horses whinnied as they escaped back into the forest, going to join the herd that still made its home in the forests around Hogwarts.

"Are you alright, Luna?" Ron asked as he walked over, kneeling next to her. She nodded, her eyes focused on a spot in front of her, and he stood, reaching into the pouch at his side and slowly withdrew the Sword of Gryffindor. He weighed the blade in his hands, for a moment, watching the late afternoon light as it glinted off the blade. He took a long, deep breath, reared back, and flung the blade out over the water.

It whirled out, hundreds of yards, far, far further than he could have possibly thrown it on his own before it stopped in mid-air. The blade slowly righted itself, the point pointing towards the stars, before it slowly sank below the still waters of the loch. "It seemed like the right thing to do," he explained to Luna, who nodded without looking up.

She sighed softly and leaned into him as he sat down beside her. Ron wrapped his arm around her waist and half-turned his head, resting his lips on her temple and leaving them there as the forest around them chittered softly with the sounds of life.

*****************************Godric's Hollow***************************

August 19, 2015
7:00 pm

Hermione slowly slipped down the long, circular staircase from the upper, above-ground levels of the Hollow. Blue-white orbs lit as she stepped onto the stone floor of the cavern and moved towards a blank stretch of wall across the way. She passed the range, which sat dark and silent, with a shattered target of a werewolf still downrange. She walked to a locked steel mesh cabinet, which was lit from within with a blue bar of light at the top. Several Muggle handguns and rifles were secured within, along with open cases of silver-
tipped, and sunlight-filled ammunition for the guns.

Hermione touched the lock with one finger, a green beam shot out from nowhere, to scan her left eye. She blinked rapidly as the beam faded away, and the cabinet clicked open. She removed several pistols from the cabinet and a half dozen loaded magazines for each before relocking it. She set them down on a table and moved on, crossing the thick, red workout mat. She sighed softly, finding a towel that one of the children, Em, Sirius, Harriet, or Harry had left on the mat.

She dropped it in a hamper as she stepped off the mat, and walked to the wall. Hermione reached into the back pocket of her jeans, and a balisong whirled around her fingers. She closed her eyes and grunted softly as she sliced her palm, squeezed her fist until blood dripped out and pressed her palm to the blank stone. A crack of light appeared in the stone, and with a soft, grinding sound, two slabs slid back into the rock, and she stepped into the dark void beyond.

As soon as Hermione stepped across the threshold, a soft, white glow appeared in the ceiling above, illuminating the room. She bit her lower lip, as she took a step forward and started to look around the small, secure room hidden below her home. Five items sat on display, five items that had had an immense cost to collect, and that had almost cost her soul, and that of the person reluctantly coming to stand in the door behind her. Hermione looked down at an old, scarred leather-bound journal with a large hole driven through the center of the cover.

She looked back over her shoulder as she dragged her fingers along the edge of the book and moved over to the next, an open gold and green locket inscribed with an S, that in some way had cemented her relationship to Harry. He smiled at her, and stepped into the room, wrapping his arms around her from behind and resting his head on her shoulder. He looked down at a flattened, golden cup set next to a gold ring set with a cracked, black stone in a small, black velvet box.

"Was it worth it, Harry?" Hermione asked as she looked at the only item not destroyed in their efforts to defeat Voldemort, Rowena's staff with the power to magnify one's powers of Transfiguration and Charms, even more so than a typical staff could provide. "What we paid, was it worth it..." She looked over at him and let her head lean against his. "These were all of them, weren't they, Harry?" she asked slightly plaintively, as Harry traced his fingers along her belly, pushing up the hem of her t-shirt.

"I don't know, Mione," Harry breathed softly in her ear. "I know that there were seven, counting him, destroyed. I don't see how he could have split his soul any more than that...It's been seventeen years, Hermione."

"It was thirteen before, Harry," she reminded him, not that he needed it, not that any of them would ever need a reminder of those days. There were too many nights without any semblance of sleep, too many scars on both of them, mental as well as physical, to ever forget. Hermione took a step forward, pulling out of his arms, to reach forward and touch Ravenclaw's Staff. "This was only one we saved...all of the others, we destroyed; even Albus destroyed the ring, instead of even trying to save it."

Harry shrugged, she did not turn to see it, but she knew he had anyway. "Honestly, what's to save...Helga's Cup maybe, but the rest of them were either already evil or useless anyway." He looked back towards the door, pulling on her slightly, "We need to get ready, love."

"Alright," she let him lead her from the room. It sealed behind them automatically, and she slowly walked back across the main room, pausing at the table where she had left the pistols. She took a magazine and rammed it home in one of the pistols before handing it over her shoulder to him. "Remus said he scented weres there...and where there are weres, there are probably vamps...those are loaded with a mix of silver and UV."

"My sword works fine, Hermione," Harry replied but took the weapon, and another three from her, placing them in a bag, anyway. He smirked slightly as she turned around, "So what are you wearing tonight?"

She leaned up and kissed his cheek, "You'll see, love." Hermione vanished without a sound and Harry laughed softly before deciding to walk up the stairs instead.

7:20 pm

Emilia looked over at Harriet as she made a small gesture in the air, causing a pointer to move up on the screen of her laptop. The screen fuzzed for a second and she tapped the side of the screen. "Sirius!" she yelled back up the stairs, from her seat on the sofa. "Mum, Sirius is letting his powers get out of whack again..."

"I'm not the one who screwed up the telly for a entire night because Xander was over," Sirius yelled back. Harriet giggled quietly and went back to her book, 1001 Ways to Transfigure the Untransfigurable. Emilia sighed softly as her computer returned to normal, at least as normal as anything around her, and continued to look at a Muggle website about magic. She giggled as she found a "spell" for creating fire.

"They have the words wrong," Harriet observed as she leaned over.

"They usually do," Em replied, "but they are good for a laugh. They have the right of it about the Loup-Garou though, at least on some sites, and there is a rather good site on Dragons I found, reads like it's taken directly from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them." The screen fuzzed out again, Emilia sighed heavily, "Bloody Hell, SIRUS!"

"Stop yelling at your brother," Harry said, walking out of the kitchen.

Emilia turned her head and her eyes widened slightly. "Damn, Dad," she said as she set aside the computer, "you look..."

"He's your father, Emilia Luna," Hermione said from the top of the stairs, "that's just wrong."

"Ha, ha, Mum..." Emilia replied and glanced over at Harry to find a slightly glazed look on his face. "Mum, you've caused Dad's brain to stop again. Emilia looked back to Hermione as she finished coming down the stairs. Emilia looked up with wry approval at the short black skirt under a short white top, that her mother was sporting. A black leather jacket, and black leather boots with a good two-inch heel completed the outfit, Emilia scanned down her body, a small smirk on her lips. "Your holster is showing, Mum," Emilia added after a moment.

Hermione glanced down to find the lower half of a combination wand and pistol holster peeking out from the bottom of the hem of her skirt. She shrugged, "I'll conceal it with a charm," she glanced over at Harry as he settled a long leather duster over his frame, concealing the sword riding his back and the wand holster strapped down his thigh, along with the sidearms behind his back, "Or maybe we'll be obvious. Don't know. Are you going to be here or at Xander's?"

"He should be along after a bit, he went to Nathan's to work on that damn broom of his again." Emilia said with a faint grimace.

"Fine," Hermione replied as she walked over to the door where Harry was waiting. She reached up and positioned her earrings in her ears, a pair of small emerald studs that Harry had given her years ago. "Double check the wards before you go to sleep, they are on lockdown now so you shouldn't have to worry about it."

"Honestly, Mum," Emilia sighed slightly exasperatedly, "we're not eight." She considered for a moment, "Well Sirius still is..."

"I heard that," Sirius yelled down the stairs.

"Try not to damage the house too much," Harry said as he grabbed a set of keys with a carved head of a large dog as a key chain from a hook next to the door.

"You can owl out for pizza if you want," Hermione added, finishing with her earrings and reaching over to grab Harry's hand. "Love you all," with that, she and Harry vanished, and a minute later a bass rumble could be heard from the garage. A loud sucking sound overlaid that for an instant and the rumble vanished.

Emilia sighed and closed the laptop, giving up as it fuzzed out a third time. She whistled and watched as Hedwig appeared from somewhere in the house and alighted on the back of the sofa next to her, she hooted quietly, and turned her head as Em reached up to run her hand along her feathers. "What do you want on your pizza, Harriet?" she asked as she gestured in the air and a sheet of parchment and a self-inking quill appeared from nowhere.

"What about Sirius?" Harriet said, frowning slightly as she looked up the stairs towards where she knew he was, somehow.

Emilia laughed softly, as a brief memory of some other time and some other boy crossed her mind. "You'll learn that the boys, will eat what you tell them to..."

Harriet considered her point for a moment, not sure that she really agreed and shrugged, "Pepperoni and pineapple," Emilia crooked an eyebrow and Harriet shrugged again, "Mum likes it."

Emilia smiled and shook her head as she wrote the order on the parchment, tied it to Hedwig's leg as she hoped down to her lap and bent down, kissing the Familiar's head. Hedwig hooted at her and took flight, passing through a hatch that appeared and disappeared in the front door as she flew out into the evening.

*******************************London**********************************

11:20 pm

A large, black motorcycle bearing a pair of passengers roared down a dark street and pulled up to a stop. Loud, pumping music blared out into the night from an open, red-lit door. A large neon sign, hanging low over the door provided nearly the only illumination for the street, casting blood-red light down over the long lines of often provocatively-dressed young men and women waiting to get into the club.

The sign pulsed, sending red, liquid light down, shining off a black, mirror-faced helmet as the woman riding the back of the bike, swung her leg over, dismounted the bike and paused an instant to fix her skirt, before removing her helmet and setting it down on the seat she had just vacated. She shook her head, sending waves of curls to fall back over her spine, and looked back to find her partner slipping from the front seat and pocketing a set of keys.

He settled a long, black leather duster around his frame and looked over, a pair of lenses catching the light of the street oddly, before he started across the street, not bothering to look as she followed automatically.

They moved past the crowd, to a mixture of wolf-whistles and jeers, and stepped to the twin bouncers standing at the entrance, passing judgment on who entered and who did not. The rightmost one looked at them, he swallowed very slightly, "Go on in."

Hermione smiled and patted his cheek as her and Harry slipped past, walking into the club, under the neon sign, which held the logo, Bram's along with a large, red droplet. The first bouncer's partner turned to him, after waving in a young blonde wearing a skirt that covered almost nothing, "Who the bloody hell were they?" A faint hint of fang showed in the bloody lighting as he opened his mouth.

"Trust me...you don't want to know."

The music, as they stepped through what was actually a partially effective Silencing Charm, hammered at their ears, fading away as Hermione muttered a spell under her breath and took Harry's hand, leading him through the crowds packing the large, East End club. The room as they slipped across the edge of the crowded dance floor, was currently filled with a mixture of Muggles and unknown to them, at least a half dozen variants of magical creatures, dancing to a twenty-year-old Aerosmith song, was red-lit, with periodic strobes flashes of color. The ceiling, low and hanging with a chain-link fence seemed oddly appropriate, as if securing the crowd...or keeping it from getting away. Hermione looked over as a short, well-endowed redhead slipped out of the crowd at the edge of the dance floor and started to move against Harry. Hermione glared, and a beat later the young Muggle paled, as a sudden urge to be elsewhere filled her thoughts.

Harry smirked over at Hermione and she squeezed his hand tighter, pulling them along until they reached the packed bar. Harry turned slightly and held up a pair of fingers, catching two green, glass bottles as they slid down the bar and handed one to Hermione. He took a drink, leaning back against the bar and looked out over the crowd, one hand automatically wrapping around her waist as she leaned back against him. He frowned slightly, looking into a dark corner, and proving to himself, once again, that Muggles really did not pay attention to what was right under their noses.

A petite blond was curled up in the lap of a dark-haired, alabaster-skinned man in a corner booth. His lips were down on the girl's neck, and his hands were down on her bum, pushing her skirt up to almost her hips as she writhed on his lap. Only the thin trickle of spilled blood slipping down her throat, and down between her breasts showed what was really going on. He glanced over at Hermione's eyes, and she shrugged, neither of them moving, as both could tell the girl was a Familiar, a willing partner.

A quick scan of the club, as their eyes became slightly unfocused and the world changed, becoming a slightly dimmer world filled with brightly glowing outlines, found at least another fifteen vampires, twenty werewolves and what Harry half thought was a succubus in the corner, surrounded by a crowd of young Muggles. What do you think? Hermione took a sip of her beer and ground back against him to the music, causing him to groan and a soft laugh to come from her throat. Minx, Harry accused lovingly, bending forward and sweeping her fall of hair to the side before nuzzling lightly on the juncture of her throat and neck.

She reached up and back with her free hand, wrapping her arm behind his neck to hold him in place. A hell of a lot of vamps and weres, too many Muggles and no back up...about normal really. She paused and sighed quietly, letting herself enjoy him nuzzling her neck before she returned to business and took another drink of her beer, I have no problem with confronting them, not really, but there would be a lot of work for the Obliviators.

Harry nodded, considering the situation they found themselves in. During the Voldemort War, weres had been split, between those supporting Voldemort, most of those in fear of Fenrir Greyback until his timely death at Hermione's hands, and those who had desperately tried to stay out of it. Only perhaps a dozen or so weres had fought on the side of the light, most notably the current Chief Auror. It was not that the average werewolf, or tiger or bear, or whatever, were evil, most in fact were average, normal people who happened to have an affliction that affected them once or twice a month, but that the years and years of discrimination and hatred against them by those in power at the Ministry and the Prophet and other institutions, along with the general European prejudice against them had driven a wedge deep into their hearts. Most would never, despite the highly visible examples of Remus Lupin and a few others that had obtained their posts in the Ministry and society since Arthur Weasley's ascension, work for those who had treated them as little better than House Elves had historically been treated.

The true owners of the club, however, were slipping here and there, the slightly haughty looking ones dancing, or sitting at the dim edges of the club, usually with one or more Muggles or Wizards attending to them. Vampires, despite Voldemort's entireties, had stayed out of the last war, mostly. A few mercenaries had been used at points to ambush Order members and Aurors, but for the most part they had kept to themselves, preferring to wait and see who won.

For they had never, really, believed the stories that Albus Dumbledore was dead. The Phoenix Wizard had held oaths and treaties with many of the clans and families, and debts of Honor with still more. The ones now, stuck to the covenants, keeping their predations to a minimum and taking only willing Familiars. At least most of them did. A rumor had come across Harry's desk, late last week, of a series of disappearances near the club...of young Muggles and Wizards vanishing, and later being sighted, but only at night.

Harry looked up as a tall, thin man with ash-blonde hair and faintly violet eyes appeared at his shoulder. "Deirdre will see you now." Hermione looked up and back at Harry and he nodded. She pushed off him without seeming to move, and glided after the undead messenger that moved through the crowd like an icebreaker through the artic, parting the ways for them.

They slipped along the edge of the dance floor, moving towards a roped-off set of couches set in the furthest corner of the club from the door. The crowd surged and waned around the corner, approaching, but never quite making it as far as the pair of somberly-dressed, large men with suspicious bulges under their dark suit jackets. Hermione did not break stride as she slipped between them, sensing their lycan nature in passing.

Hermione passed through an invisible ward, not reacting in the slightest as a faint tingle danced down her spine, and the loud music and noise from the club faded to an almost unnoticeable murmur. A second pair of bodyguards, these were actually guards and not the thugs so common these days, stepped in her path as she stalked towards the red-leather couch in which a dark-haired woman could be seen lounging, a blonde-haired young man laying on the couch next to her. "Your hardware stays with us," the taller of the pair said lowly, glancing at Harry as he came up behind Hermione. His fangs glinted in the light of the club, retracted though they were, as he spoke, his eyes never stopping moving.

"No," Harry said simply and made a tiny gesture, freezing the Vampire in place. His partner dove under his suit, going for a wand, and Hermione MOVED, spinning around him, her elbow flickered, and he crumpled to the ground at her feet. She dropped his wand on him and looked over at a low, chuckle.

"Let them pass, Jean," a silky, low feminine voice reached their ears, carrying without seeming to come from anywhere. The woman waved languidly, motioning to the couch in front of hers. Glittering, cold, dark eyes watched as Hermione sat on the black leather couch directly in front of hers, Harry took a silent post behind Hermione, his hands on the back of the couch on either side of her head. The dark eyes slowly panned down as Hermione crossed her legs, letting her skirt creep up enough to show the majority of a black, dragonhide holster holding a flat, black handgun riding in tandem with her wand.

"That is not really necessary, Hermione..." the dark-haired woman smirked, her lips parting enough to show a pair of needle-sharp fangs jutting down just enough to be noticeable. "We are all, peaceful here," she looked up at Harry, and the tip of a pink tongue ran over the tips of her fangs, "Wouldn't you be more comfortable with your...wife?" She stretched very slightly, almost unnoticeably, just enough to call attention to herself. A blood-red dress painted her curves, flowing down from a band around her neck, leaving her arms bare. A long slit ran up the side of the skirt, going all the way to her hip, calling attention to a black garter hidden there.

"Very possibly," he replied, ignoring Deirdre's pair of followers that came to stand on either side of him a pace or two back. "However, I am rather attached to my blood, and even more to hers...I would hate for there to be an...accident."

"Are you...sure..." a tendril of compulsion underlayed her words as she slowly played with the blonde's hair next to her. She crossed her legs, and the skirt parted enough to expose her leg to her hip.

"Absolutely," he replied.

Hermione licked her lips slightly and leaned back against the couch, spreading her arms along the top of it. "You know why we are here, Deirdre," she said, her head cocking to the side. She looked around the room, and glanced over as a bartender set a wineglass of a rather opaque red liquid in front of Deirdre on a low coffee table, along with a more normal-looking red for Hermione.

"Yes," she said, leaning forward to retrieve her glass. She leaned back and slowly ran one slender finger around the rim of the glass before taking a slow sip. Her dark eyes flared violet for an instant, "I had heard...there were tragedies about..." she took another drink of the slightly steaming liquid, "I, of course, have only heard about them."

"Of course," Hermione responded with a faint smile, as she leaned forward and plucked up the glass before her. She held the vampires' eye as she took a slow sip, and held the glass before her in both hands. "However, it seems to your advantage to pass on any information that may, purely through happenstance, come to your attention."

The Vampiress, looked at Hermione for a long moment, her companion stirred next to her and she ran her fingers through his hair fondly before looking up at Hermione, her voice chilling, "I am five hundred years old, childe. I had box seats at the Globe, I watched Cromwell march on London, and I have lived through the last five Dark Lords, I have seen wizards come and go. You are mere children to me..."

Harry's eyes glittered behind clear lenses, "And you are merely another annoyance to me. I do not take threats to me and mine lightly," a pair of additional vampires and a were slipped from the shadows and started towards him. A faint, shimmering wall appeared, and all three bounded back as they hit the wall.

Deirdre smiled slowly and laughed, almost musically, "I like you, Harry, are you sure that you wouldn't like to come with me to my chambers," she looked to Hermione and added, her voice oddly inviting, "Hermione is welcome as well, I always find that three is adequate."

"Some other time, Deirdre...though if I were to share my husband, there is one I would rather do so with, no offense," Hermione replied, smiling graciously. She ignored the question flitting across the back of her thoughts at her words." Deirdre just shrugged and took another sip of blood. "Now that the ritual insults, threats, and offers of infidelity have been exchanged," she said, "what can you tell us?"

Deirdre reached forward and touched a small, faceted stone sitting on the coffee table. She stroked it with one finger and a shimmering cone descended from the ceiling, fully cutting off the sound from the rest of the club, forcing back her bodyguards. They turned outward, watching the club as a whole, "I do like you...and Albus did me a great favor in Victoria's time, and my granddaughter...she was a friend of your son's namesake..." She watched outward as the lights changed, and even more dancers filled the floor. One of her coven took the hand of a tall, brunette and led her from the floor, "We stayed out of the war, I am an elder of our kind, there are few older than me...we tend to die through misadventure or to run afoul of a slayer, long before my age, to step across the line because we are bored."

She took a breath she did not really need, "There has always been a gap in our society, between those born to this life and those turned to it...the turned ones do not always wish to follow the rules that our elders have laid down...ones that we have established to, frankly, keep yourselves or those like you from knocking on our doors in the middle of the day. We have always known that we could not win a war to the fang...we could kill many of you, yes, but we would be destroyed in the end. It is to that end that we limit the numbers we turn, and for the most part, we do not kill."

"What has happened?" Harry asked, leaning slightly on the back of the couch.

"There is a group that has openly broken from our councils, most of them young, less than a hundred or so, but with at least five elders, perhaps a few more. They have begun turning at a rate not seen since the dark ages, and feeding indiscriminately. Since the days that the Church sent out its slayers after us. They were nothing to us, insects in their Muggle abilities, but they were many, and we were driven underground. We do not know why they have chosen this course, one that will set them in conflict with the guardians." She touched the stone again, and the dampening field vanished, "That is all we know, or that I am permitted to share, for now."

Hermione stood, recognizing that the audience was at an end, "Thank you." She took paced around the couch, and started back towards the main part of the club, Harry falling in at her side with decades of practice. She reached up and patted one of the bodyguards as she passed, handing him back a wand that he had not even noticed he had lost.

After a few steps, when they reached the crowd, she took his hand lightly, and let him take the lead, leading them both towards the entrance and the dark street beyond. Well, Harry? she asked, as they stepped out into the cool, London early morning, now. She gave the bouncer that had let them in a nod, and followed Harry across the street to his bike.

Hermione froze suddenly and looked up as the street at both ends filled with silent bipedal forms. A chunk of brick hurled out of the darkness, impacting the neon sign and shattering it in a rain of sparks. The red glow died, leaving the street as black as the darkest pit. Hermione, Harry said, a conversation in one word. A loud, unrecognizable word came from one of the unknown interlopers and a large, silver moon bloomed several hundred feet up, competing with a crescent moon hanging low in the sky.

Hermione slipped to the center of the street, facing towards one group as she felt Harry at her back facing the other way. Eerie howls filled the London night as the shapes at either end of the street SHIFTED growing, changing, until the street was filled with snarling, growling, wolf-like creatures, standing on two legs.

Hermione glanced back at Harry, as her hand darted under her skirt, coming up with her sidearm and bringing it up in a two-handed grip. Harry's coat flared out as a pair of dull black pistols filled his hands. He took a half step back, stopping as his back touched Hermione's.

A loud, single howl echoed in the night, echoed by another then another, until every were was repeating the call. Harry took a breath, the sound loud in his ear...and they charged. Almost twenty wolves tore down on them, running along the streets, bounding along the sideways and in the case of a few, running right along the sides of the buildings.

Take 'em, Harry snapped and the crackle of gunfire filled the night, cutting over the growls and howls of the wolves. Harry tracked right, and the bright flashes of the sunlight ammo interspaced with the loud, terrible hissing of silver, as the tore into the wolves charging him, came to his ears. A pair of wolves fell away, whimpering for a moment, before they stopped, permanently, as Harry tracked to another pair, dropping both of them with neat headshots.

Behind him, Hermione tapped single, neat shots, dropping one, then a second, then a third wolf. She fired at a fourth, missing, and the sun-bright claps of light as the every-other anti-vamp round hit the cobblestones caused her to blink rapidly. Her vision came back, just in time to see another wolf leaping out of the darkness, just in time to send it flying back through the air with a hard wave of her hand. She spun, firing three more rounds in a tight group to an upright were. It screamed horribly as two of the silver nitrate rounds spread through its body and it fell away, convulsing. The slide locked back on her gun and she let it fall away, I'm dry, Harry. Hermione reached back under her jacket and a pair of familiar friends filled her hands, the blades growing to two feet in length.

She heard the sound of another pair of triple taps, Me too, Harry replied, sliding the pair of pistols back into their holsters under his coat, and reaching up and back. A flare of light bloomed as the Sword of Gryffindor filled his hand, and he came down into a low, point-trailing guard.

The remaining wolves, ten out of the twenty that had originally appeared, slowly filled into a snarling, pacing circle around them, just out of pouncing distance. Harry's eyes moved, tracking behind his glasses, scanning the five wolves in front of him, even as a ghostly image floated over the top of that, Hermione's vision overlaying his own. He blinked and Hermione's sight faded from his own, "You can leave now," Harry barked out over the street, banking at least some of them had taken Wolfsbane and were not beyond understanding him. There were those, of course, like Remus who could transform without the benefit of the moon or a spell, who retained their minds after the transformation, but most of them were Alphas, pack leaders, and would not have been here, at least not in the attack.

Not to his surprise, the growling redoubled, and Harry settled his grip on the Sword. He felt Hermione ready herself, a tingling along his spine as magic filled the air, and their very bones, spilling out into the night in emerald glows. "You won't win," Hermione went on, her silver blades glinting in the light from the false moon, "we don't particularly want to kill you..."

A single were, bigger by half than the rest, stepped forward towards Harry. He howled once, then looked at Harry with rather human-looking, intelligence in his eyes. "You will die, Potter," the words twisted by inhuman lips, he howled again and the wolves charged.

Harry flipped to the side, dodging the charge of the were who had spoken and slashed his free hand though the air. A wall of fire snapped into place, cutting off the wolves from them. Harry dove under a slash of claws and rolled to his feet, flipping backwards as jaws snapped for his throat. The were roared and leapt, Harry dropped to a knee, spinning, and flicked the sword up and left. The roar cut off in mid-sound as two pieces of wolf fell away.

Behind him Hermione spun as a pair of wolves dove through the flames, she flicked her left hand and one were died with a whimper as a silvered dagger lodged in his brain. She hopped sideways as the other snapped at her leg, swiped with a claw, "Fuck," she hissed as a burning spike of pain bloomed in her leg and she felt wetness flowing down her leg. The wolf leapt, Diffindo Sparsi Argentium... a cloud of silver darts shot from her dagger, shredding the wolf in mid-air. She stepped to the side, and watched as the remains floated oh-so-slowly past.

A new howl, from an unknown throat rent the air, and then, sudden silence. Harry glanced over to Hermione and waved his hand, vanishing the flames, to find that the remainder of the wolves had vanished into the dim night. Harry looked around slowly, took a breath, and a faintly visible pulse of magic snapped out into the darkness, searching.

He relaxed, sheathing the sword with an irritated faint growl as he stalked over to Hermione. "You're hurt," he muttered as he caught the faint glimmer of blood on Hermione's leg.

"I'll live," she replied quietly, reaching up and running her fingers along his cheek for a moment. She reached into a pocket of his jacket and fished out a mirror, and flipped it open one-handed, turning around and letting Harry hold her up.

Lazy, Harry whispered and she grinned for an instant before the look fell away.

"Bookworm to central," Hermione said into the mirror, and waited as her image swirled, to be replaced with the head of an earnest-looking young, sandy-haired man in dark blue robes. "Do you have my location?" she asked before he could open his mouth, and received a puzzled nod. "Good, send a clean-up team here," she glanced over to see that several of the bodies had already started to change back into their human forms, naked pale skin glowed in the light from the real moon, the fake having vanished with the rest of the wolves. "We have thirteen weres, deceased, and possibly some Muggles to Obliviate." Harry gave her a nod as he resheathed his wand, having cast a Confundus to convince any Muggles in the area that they needed to stay close until the Obliviators got here to interview them and modify their memories accordingly.

"Yes, ma'am," the young MLE dispatcher replied, "do you need Healer support?"

Harry glared at her mildly as she shook her head, "No, we'll be fine. Send a forensics team as well, we would like to see if there is any particular pack affiliation to them." Hermione looked around the street, seeing the bouncers from the club stepping out onto the street. She sighed faintly, "That is all," the MLE dispatcher nodded and his image vanished.

A beat later, six wizards in white robes appeared with soft CRACKs of Apparition. Five of them went immediately to the weres, with one scrutinizing the alley, shaking his head. Spotting Harry and Hermione, he started towards them as the rest began investigating the scene. One of the forensic team stood back and started snapping shots with a Wizarding camera, lighting the street with white flashes as another started running a green, scanning beam from his wand over the bodies.

Their leader, a short wizard with a salt and pepper beard and hair stopped in front of them and frowned. He looked back towards the rest, pointedly, before turning back to Harry and Hermione, "Can you two, ever, leave a neat scene?" Wendel Homes, head of the Forensic Branch sighed tiredly.

"Sorry," Harry replied almost sheepishly. "What are you doing working this time of night? You are the Head of Forensics, remember?"

"What are the heads of Field Ops doing in the middle of a dark street at Midnight?" he countered and Harry and Hermione both shrugged. He snorted, "Elie's visiting the grandkids, Sara starts Hogwarts this year, they were going shopping in the morning, so I came into work to catch up on paperwork. I overheard the call and tagged along." He scrambled under his robes for a notebook, and scribbled down their names, and badge numbers from memory, "We had to call in Obliviators off the on-call list, the ones working were called away to Brighton, some kids were flying their brooms over a golf course with lit wands, had UFO calls coming in all night."

"Brilliant," Hermione said. "We need to see who these weres were, see if you can find any glyphs or anything that would either point them to a specific pack or perhaps a Vampire master...this was a touch convenient."

He frowned, and ran his fingers along his beard. He walked over to the nearest were, the one that Harry had cut down, with Harry and Hermione following. He reached into a pocket of his robes, and found a pair of purple nitrile gloves and slipped them on. He knelt next to the body and turned the head, he pushed dark hair up off the nape of its neck. He found a burnt, mottled patch of skin and looked back up at the Potters. "Looks as if he had a marking, but someone burned it off with silver."

Harry nodded, his expression not revealing his annoyance, "Let us know, we are heading home, should be into the office in the morning." Homes gave a preoccupied nod and turned back to the body, pulling his wand out from his sleeve and running it slowly over the body. He looked up as he heard the roar of the Harley starting, and watched with a small frown as it left, speeding into the night. He had not bothered to mention the cut on Hermione's leg; he knew that they would have only brushed him off anyway.

He stood, grimacing as his back popped faintly and looked at the rest of the team with him, "Oi, Terry, call in and get another team out here." A blonde woman nodded and started talking lowly into a mirror, "I really need a holiday."

A/N: And there you go. I hope you liked the touch of Underworld there, though the pistols are the most logical means for sending silver downrange without tapping into their own magics. And if you hadn't figured it out,
trophy room is inspired from Stephy's La collezione, you can check it
out in the PK Gallery

Next chapter we will meet a new character and gasp, she's even not from England...directly anyway. Her dad is though. Also Luna's dad will actually make an appearance, and we will finally catch up to Draco and Ginny...SeYa then.

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9. Chapter 8: A Reunion in Wales

A/N: Ok, here we go, stepping forward into the breach. I always love meeting new people, don't you? Really, I own nothing, except the approximately 1e6 OC's in this fic... Thanks to Lady Starlight for her work on this chapter.
Chapter 8: A Reunion in Wales
****************************Godric's Hollow*****************************

August 20, 2015 (Thursday)
10:15 am

Emilia Potter caught a six-foot shaft of English Oak, and spun it into a flashing figure eight, crossing in front of her and spinning into her hand, ending along her right arm, held back, with the excess length along her back, as her left hand extended forward. She flipped it around and leaned on it for a moment, before tossing the staff to Harriet who was sitting under a birch tree that Em's parents had planted along the lake at the Hollow. Harriet caught it almost distractedly with one hand and set it beside her as she continued to run a brush along the white fur of her Familiar. "It's just not me, Harriet," Emilia said, shrugging as she dropped into an easy lotus in front of her friend and scratched Gaheris' ears.

"I have mine," Harriet replied, finishing with the brush and setting it on the ground next to her. She pulled her wand from behind her ear, a carved shaft of purpleheart, and tapped it, vanishing it to her room. She slipped it into a sheath strapped low on her thigh, over the cutoff jeans she had purloined from her 'sister' and stretched out under the tree, resting her head on Gaheris, who rested his head on his paws and seemed to go to sleep. She turned her head to look at Emilia, "Em..." Emilia nodded, Harriet sighed softly and looked almost wistfully up towards the house where she could see a black head of hair bent down, reading a book in a deck chair, "do you think that Sirius likes me?" She looked down her fingers as they absently fiddled with Gaheris' collar.

Emilia glanced up, moving just her eyes, to catch a dark head of hair quickly looking away, "There's a strong possibility," she replied, wryly, though the redhead in front of her did not catch the tone.

"Em?"

"Humm?" Emilia replied, preoccupied with watching as Hermione appeared on the porch and leaned down to say something to Sirius. She looked over and saw Emilia, and waved, before vanishing, presumably since she looked to have had formal robes on, to the Wizengamot session that Emilia knew was taking place this afternoon. Emilia looked back to Harriet, as Sirius stood and marked his place in his book before setting it on his seat and walking into the kitchen to get a drink.

Harriet leaned down and muttered something in her Familiar's ear; he looked up at her with ice-blue eyes then over to Em and seemed to roll them. Emilia shared a smirk with the canine and looked up at Harriet, blanking her face just in time to meet Harriet's eyes. "What's it like?...Sex, that is?"

Emilia coughed suddenly, sputtering just as she took a drink from the bottle of pumpkin juice at her side. Emilia opened her mouth and closed it quickly, she opened it again just in time to hear a soft voice from just beyond the tree ask, "Yes, Emilia..." a tall, blue-eyed girl with ruler-straight, almost waist-length black hair asked, smirking. She was taller than Emilia, Harriet could see immediately, with a light coffee complexion. A bald eagle, of all things, was sitting complacently on her shoulder, his talons carefully not cutting into her shoulder through the short t-shirt she wore over low-riding, worn jeans, that read, "Gryffindor, it's not a house...it's a way of life." The bird pushed off her shoulder, taking flight, and the girls looked at Em expectantly, her hands on her hips, the right resting just above a wand sheathed in a low-riding rig on her thigh. "How is it?"

"RAIN," Emilia exclaimed and jumped from her seat, wrapping her arms around the newcomer. "What are you doing here?"

She shrugged, "Dad had a new client willing to pay a pile of Galleons for a sword of his, demanded that Dad get out here and measure him for it...don't know why he was in such a hurry, Dad's wait list is like three years these days for anyone who's not family. So we hopped a sub-orbital to Heathrow, since Dad hates Portkeys, and here we are." She glanced back up towards the house. "I hope that I can stay here," she asked with a grin, "since I Apparated here with my stuff." She looked at Harriet, and knelt gracefully, extending her hand, "Rain Kincaid."

Harriet looked up at her for a long minute as time seemed to hiccup. Her eyes, always a touch distant, went unfocused, before she refocused on Rain, and beamed. "You are my friend too," Harriet said with utter certainty as she grabbed Rain's hand with both of hers.

Rain froze, as she looked at the unknown girl again and then took a sharp breath. She looked over at Emilia, "She can't be...they didn't live..."

"Rain," Emilia said, "meet Harriet Molly Weasley..."

Rain grinned, and dropped to the ground next to them, crossing her legs in front of her and leaning forward, the three girls forming a rough triangle. "That is going to be a hell of a story, tonight, I assume you are staying here, Harriet?" Harriet nodded and Rain looked over to Emilia, "But, I really need to hear the sordid details of your love life, Em, as I'm young and horny, so spill." She looked back over her shoulder to see Sirius had returned to the porch, he saw her and waved and she waved back, "Or would you rather go to your room?"

"Um," Em said slowly, thinking of who and in what state that person was probably in, in her room, "Xander is sorta in my room right now..."

"Oh, really," Rain replied, smirking and looking back up towards Emilia's bedroom window, "and your parents know? I know they are cool and all, but..."

"We bonded, Rain, like Mum and Dad did," Emilia said softly, cutting her off. Rain's eyes widened, and she reached forward, grabbing Emilia's hands and squeezing them. Rain looked over at Harriet, and she shrugged.

"So you are...married?" Rain asked in a slightly choked voice, her voice rising at least an octave. She swallowed heavily, and looked down, unconsciously at Emilia's hands.

Em smiled, knowing what she was thinking, though the ring she wore was on her right hand. "Not quite...betrothed more like...but honestly, yeah...well sorta...bloody hell...I don't know."

Rain crooked an eyebrow, and laughed softly, "I knew it, I called it third year...There are people who owe me money." Rain glanced over at Harriet, "I honestly can't decide if I want to know if Xander shags as good as he looks or about you...agghhhh."

Emilia looked down, her hair falling in a dark curtain to hide her eyes, her face flushing slightly before she looked up, meeting Rain's eyes determinedly, "He does." Rain raised both eyebrows and Emilia shrugged, looking up toward her brother. She flicked her fingers, establishing a Privacy Ward, not that she thought he would really eavesdrop, but more as general principle. Emilia closed her eyes for a moment, as she twisted her hands in her lap, marshalling her thoughts. "He...he was really...nice. He didn't pressure me into anything..." she snorted, "Hell, I was the one doing the pressuring."

Both of the other girls looked at her with rapt attention, as she went on quietly, "I love him, I've never been sure how long I have, maybe since third year when he asked me to Hogsmeade, or since I was born when Mum and Tonks used to have us sleep in the same crib...I told myself, going in, that it was about time that we 'did it', that it was only a natural progression, but I was fooling myself, and I knew it. I knew, as soon as we got to Grimmauld, I had had Dobby set up my bedroom there for us; it was so much more than that. You were the only one I ever told about that last Quidditch match, Rain, about what I felt, never even told Mum and Dad until the other day...but this was so much stronger, like a pair of Dragons flying head on as fast as they could towards each other."

"So you're saying," Rain shared a small smile with Harriet, who seemed to have immediately fallen in with the other girl, "that he was ok in the sack. That's all I'm asking." Emilia made a soft, indeterminate noise and conjured a foam ball and shot it at Rain. Harriet laughed loudly, and Emilia cocked her head at her, and a slightly malevolent look flitted across her emerald eyes.

"Where do you want to stay for the next week, Rain, I can kick Xander out, make him stay at home, it's...slightly annoying, but I'll manage, or you can bunk with Harriet...or..." she looked directly at Harriet. "We have a project, Rain..."

"What's that," she replied, slightly puzzled at Emilia's change of direction.

"It seems that Harriet here is rather hung up on my brother...now, I'm not totally sure about her taste," Emilia extemporized, though Rain knew what she really meant, "but I suppose we'll help her."

"Why not, I have nothing better to do, really," Rain grinned. Harriet gave both of them slightly timid smiles, afraid, rightly, of what was running through their heads. Her eyes widened as both girls grabbed her and vanished with a soft POP, headed to Harriet's room to-plot-even if Harriet really did not want to.

***************************Ministry of Magic***************************

3:25 pm

Harry Potter moved quickly through the Atrium, a brown paper sack held in one hand. A black badge hanging on a chain around his neck glinted softly in the light from torches and lamps scattered about the vast room. He nodded to the guard, who returned a wave, and ignored the outcries of several reporters stationed in near the lifts as he boarded one, and closed the door.

"POTTER...IS IT TRUE THAT YOU FAKED HE-WHO-CAN'T-BE-NAMED's DEATH?" one particularly bold reporter screamed as the lift started to clank upwards. Harry ignored the call, frowning and looking down as the car slowly, jerkily moved upwards towards the Auror offices. A dozen paper airplanes circled at his head, and shot out in a tree-killing stream, as the door opened, splitting up and heading for the appropriate offices and cubicles.

He passed through the cubicle farm covering a large, open room, heading for the back corridors along the walls of the building, facing rock on the other side of fake windows. He walked past an open conference room where seven robed Aurors were crowded around an animated map. Another open door showed a pair of Aurors tossing darts towards a board with a stylized picture of Voldemort on it.

Harry just shook his head as he continued down the hall, passing Remus and Tonks' empty offices, both of them were currently in Las Vegas of all places, attending a conference on Magical Counter-Terrorism in the Twenty-First Century. They would get back this weekend, only just in time for the pair of them, to be locked up for the full moon, falling on the days the kids would return to school. Plus, he would have the happy fun of having Xander and Abby at the house, both of whom, while not forced to transform to a wolf, were often, testy.

He pushed open a heavy oak door set with a lighting bolt on a small brass plaque, a joke that had stayed as such things often do, and slipped in. He smiled fondly as he found Hermione looking up at him with tired eyes, her elbows on her desk and her lip in her teeth. She looked at the brown bag in his hand, and then up at his face, "I love you, Harry."

He just smiled as he came over and sat down on the edge of his desk, bordering hers, and set the bag down next to him. When they had first started in the Ministry, they had tried separate offices, but as they either spent their entire time in the field, or in each other's offices...or occasionally an unoccupied supply closet...getting supplies, of course, their offices were consolidated. It was the same principle that had a connecting door between Remus and Tonks'. "It's only fish and chips, Love," Harry replied seriously. He slipped down to his desk chair, a large, slightly battered black leather one, and ripped open the bag, turning it to a rough plate.

Hermione stood from her seat and shrugged off the formal robes she had worn to the Wizengamot meeting that she had been forced to go to earlier, fighting for warrants to investigate several families that had escaped investigation in the chaos following Voldemort's fall. She slipped over to Harry and sat down in his lap, kicking off the low heels she had had on and pulling her feet under her bum. She sighed softly and let her head flop back onto his shoulder.

She grinned as Harry reached forward, grabbed a chip and fed it to her. She swallowed and kissed his shoulder, "You think I care?" Hermione relaxed back against him and summoned a battered filet from the small pile of food and crunched into it. She swallowed and looked towards the door. She made a small, precise movement with one of her fingers and a white flash lit the walls. "I suppose you heard by now?"

"Yeah," Harry replied, his voice thick with barely controlled frustration, "I stopped by Hogwarts to talk to Albus, got there just as he got back."

Hermione straightened on his lap, almost quivering in sudden anger, "I spent four hours in that damn hearing, and not only did they refuse to even consider that Jerrod and Hamilton and the others we want to investigate could possibly still retain Death Eater ties...After all Jerrod is a fine, upstanding contributor to Society, even holds the annual ball for St. Mungo's, pets baby Krups and such...And Xavier Hamilton...ohh...let's not talk about the fact that twenty separate witnesses placed his brother Gregor at Hogwarts the night Voldemort took it, even though we never identified the body, and that Xavier was quoted in the Prophet expressing anti-Muggle leanings back then, but we should only consider the fact that he started a fund for the rebuilding of Diagon Alley." Hermione's voice was a rather accurate representation of Sophia Tartre's, one of the 'guiding lights' in the Wizengamot over the last ten years, whose liberal leanings had sent Remus from the group's chambers in frustration before, lest he eat her.

Which would have had negative effects on his department's budget.

Harry slowly stoked the part of her thigh not covered by her skirt, and she leaned back, letting her head flop back, "I'm ranting, aren't I?" Harry nodded. "Sorry," Hermione replied, "I'll make it up to you tonight." She looked back at him, smirking at him and he laughed, kissing her nose. Her smile faded as she reached forward again and took another bite of fish, and conjured a butterbeer to wash it down with. She took a drink, "I swear that Malcolm had the right of it sometimes, maybe we should have moved away from Britain..."

"You wouldn't have wanted to," Harry muttered in her ear, "this is home, for all its faults. And its not like we would have had the kids go anywhere else but Hogwarts anyway."

Hermione shrugged, then nodded. She smiled slightly as Harry slowly worked his fingers under the hem of her skirt, "Later, Mr. Potter." She reached down and grabbed the offending hand with hers, "But that isn't the worst of it, Harry." He cocked his head slightly, "I was accused of chasing ghosts, that Bella really couldn't be alive, after all her body was found..." she felt Harry stiffen behind her, and she squeezed his hand, "not all of them, of course, but its almost like some of these idiots are channeling Fudge, we've had peace for seventeen years, we can't have anything disturb that."

"Figures," Harry replied, sighing, "This is all too much, Hermione, all at once, Bella showing up, the rumors of the Vampire attacks, the attack on us could either be some vamp master who doesn't want us looking too close or just thug with enough cash to hire that group on us, I doubt we'll know until months from now, if then..." he made an uneven, throwing away gesture as he trailed off.

"The kids are going back to school," Hermione mentioned after a beat, "at least they'll be at Hogwarts...safer, I suppose, if this is a plot to get at us after all these years."

"I'm more worried about what we aren't seeing, honestly," Harry mused, gazing across the office towards a false window that was currently showing a late afternoon view of the waters of the Hogwarts' lake. Hermione nodded absently, taking another bite of the late lunch that Harry had brought her, it was not as if they needed to actually listen to each other to follow a light conversation...or a complex treatise on Transfiguration for that matter.

"Do you think that we should call Remus and Tonks back early?" Hermione frowned as she pulled back her skirt, enough to scratch at a gaze-covered slice on her leg, right in front of her wand holster.

No, let's leave them there for now, they'll be back by the time the kids head off to school, though Remus will be out of condition for anything for a couple of days after that, Harry replied, his fingers lightly thrumming on her knee as he thought, I would like to get them back here in charge before you and I go hunting again.

Alright, Harry, we'll do that.

***********************Ottery St. Catchpole, The Burrow*********************
8:20 pm

Molly Weasley sat across a worn, but functional kitchen table at a stocky, blonde-haired man, with dark brown eyes and dressed in luridly blue, purple and orange robes. She waited as he stirred a truly excessive amount of sugar into his coffee, before looking up at her, a soft beaming smile on his lips. "Do you know that the woods surrounding your house are truly excellent for observing the mating habits of the Orange-Crested Zeckmark?"

"Um...I am sure that they are, Sebastian," Molly replied, glancing, despite herself, at the window overlooking the woods beyond. "But I am sure that you would agree that we have more important things to discuss," she went on to Sebastian Lovegood, the more than slightly eccentric Editor and major stockholder of the Quibbler, the monthly magazine, that in the last twenty or so years, had added a Daily, and increased its readership to almost the entirety of Wizarding Britain, Ireland and Western Europe, along with many subscribers in the Americas. The Quibbler had, putting aside its more fantastic stories, had earned a reputation for accurate and truthful reporting, even when that reporting did not cast the best light on those it might consider friends.

"Specifically," Molly went on, businesslike, glancing back at her clock and confirming that Arthur was still at work, "Harriet...she should be here...or your place, but she would be more at home here..." She took a breath as Sebastian's gaze sharpened almost imperceptivity, and continued, "Now, I am sure that Harry and Hermione mean well, but Harriet should be with those that love her...that know her best...after all we raised her parents..."

Sebastian smiled, looking vaguely at a point somewhat over Molly's shoulder, "She seemed rather happy when she visited me the other day; she promised to go on a Snorkack expedition next summer."

Molly froze, her mouth gaping for an instant, "Harriet has been to your place?" she asked with a rather flat tone to her voice.

"Yes," he replied with a small smile, as his eyes looked up and to the right for an instant, remembering, "she is a most pleasant young woman...just between you and me, I think she has a touch of a crush on young Mr. Potter. Acts just like her mother did with Ronald."

Molly took a sharp breath, her eyes narrowing as a tainted memory flashed across her mind, "Then it is entirely inappropriate for her to be staying at the Potters, they are often gone. Who knows what those children might get up to." She leaned forward across the table, "I care deeply for Harry and Hermione, but you must admit that they never, through no fault of their own, of course, really had the proper upbringing...I mean poor Harry had those awful Dursleys and Hermione...well Jane is a nice woman and all, but she was, working," Molly's inflection was almost as if the verb was a dirty word, "They let their children get away with far too much..."

"Luna was often alone, Molly," Sebastian mentioned, causally, a slow frown faded into existence on his lips. "I was rather proud of how she turned out." He slowly brought his cup to his lips and took a sip, his motions precise and controlled. "One of the reasons, that I started the Quibbler, along with the need to tell the truth, of course, was that my former career was rather dangerous, and I did not want to leave my daughter without any parents," his voice was hard, any trace of whimsy gone, "but I was still often not there, I trusted her, trust her, and I see no reason not to trust her daughter. Even with the boy who would later become her husband, who she told me would be so when she was twelve mind you, living only a short walk away...who married him a year before she should have rightly graduated Hogwarts."

Molly opened her mouth to speak, but a languidly raised hand cut her off, "I need to be going, Molly, I have a deadline to oversee...We have a special edition on Stubby Boardman, and just where he has been for the last few years, quite a few sightings have put him in Tibet, though confidentially, I think he was working as a Muggle waiter in Chile." He stood and moved quickly towards the door, he turned back as he reached it, "I will not be dragged into a war over my granddaughter...only a few months ago, I thought I was alone...I will not risk it, especially not over an inherently false concern, that I do not share, good night, Madame."

He stepped out onto the lawn without another word to her. Through the open window, she heard his faint greeting to Arthur as the Minister arrived along with a pair of Aurors from his greatly reduced, these days, security detail. They took stations outside as Arthur slipped into the house and closed the door behind him. "Hello, Molly dear." He gave her a hug and looked back towards the lawn. "What was Sebastian doing here?"

"Oh, I invited him over for coffee, he is rather lonely these days," Molly responded with almost nary a pause.

"Good, we should have him over more often," Arthur pronounced with a nod, assuring himself of something. "What is for dinner, dear?"

"Pot roast," Molly said with a small, secretly relieved smile. She busied herself with pulling the food out from the oven, where a Stasis Charm had kept the food hot, even as she seethed inside, her thoughts much further south and to the west along the coast of Wales.

************************Southern Albania*********************************

August 21, 2015
1:15 am

"We are risking much for your master," a tall, pale man said to a black-haired woman. He stood on the battlements of a truly ancient castle. Several werewolves stood guard in human form about the battlements, a mixture of Muggle and Wizarding weapons hanging ready in their hands. The battlements looked out over a dark forest, from which several eerie howls reached their ears.

The man ran his hands over the rough stone of thousand-year-old gargoyles, as the dark woman looked over at him, "You should feel lucky that he...deigns to consort with such as you...You will be rewarded, Vampire."

"So says the woman who has hid from the very forces that she asks me to risk me and mine to attack for a vague, nebulous promise of power," he snapped, his eyes picking up a faint glow as fangs dropped. He MOVED and stood next to her, picking her up with one hand and tossing her back against the wall. He stood over her as she struggled to her feet, scrambling for a wand, she pulled a silver cross out from under his robes and he laughed, "You have to have a soul, Bella, for that to work." He gestured towards her wand, "Put that away, I say a single word and you will not leave this place alive. We will do as you ask, but do not again think that you can treat us as we will, your master will hold to his promises."

Bellatrix slowly slid her wand into her sleeve, "He will give you what you ask. Just make sure your forces are there at the appointed time. He wishes to send a...message to the Blood-Traitors and Mudbloods." The Vampire nodded and waved at Bellatrix. She vanished with a soft CRACK and he turned back to the forest.

"Lucian," the vampire said after a moment, and a tall, bald man dressed in dark leathers slipped to his side, his stride utterly silent on the stones of the castle walls. "Take a hunt group to where that bitch said, and perform the ambush...you are not to participate yourself, Lucian."

"Sire, is that wise?"

"Perhaps not, but it is a very risky game that we are playing, my old friend...if we win, then we can put the old ones to our swords...if we loose, then at least it will be quick." The tall werewolf nodded and flexed huge fists unthinkingly. "And Lucian."

"Yes, Sire?"

"Those who you use, make sure that they can not be traced back to me. It is not yet time to reveal our involvement."

***********************Godric's Hollow**************************

1:20 am

Unlike London, where smog and fog filled the night sky, blocking most of the stars from view, the sky over the Hollow was speckled with twinkling pinpricks of light piercing the velvet blanket of the sky. A partial moon cast down silver light onto a wooden porch and glinted off silvery-grey eyes, like a second pair of moons. She turned at a soft scrape of the sliding door into the kitchen, curiously unthreatened, and watched as her newest friend paced across the porch and slipped to her bum next to her on the wooden stairs leading to the yard below.

Rain scooted on her bum until her back was against a railing and pulled her knees up to her chest. She looked down at her toes peeking out from under a pair of flannel sleep pants, and wiggled them, before looking back up at Harriet. "Why are you still up, Harriet? Am I that annoying a roommate?" She smiled faintly, white teeth glinting in the moonlight, "I don't think I was snoring too much."

Harriet blinked, her eyes focusing on the newcomer, "No, you are just lovely, I wasn't tired....this place, it's such a magically steeped place...I was hoping to catch sight of a Silver Nightsnake...they can be a good omen for..."

"For what, Harriet?" Rain asked, smirking like she already knew the answer.

"For things..."

"It's ok, Harriet, I'm not going to tease you because you like a boy." She reached up, sweeping her hair behind her ears with both hands, revealing ears set with several small, gemmed studs apiece. "I'll even admit that you have pretty good taste," Rain added thoughtfully, "You'd be far from the only Witch at Hogwarts to think that the boy has the potential to be a hottie."

Rain watched as a shocked, panicked look fell over Harriet's face, "They do?" Harriet squeaked, and Rain reached forward, grabbing the other girl's hand for an instant.

"They may," Rain said, glancing up towards the second floor, where the soft light from a reading lamp could be seen from Sirius' window, "but for them to have a chance, he would have to look at them...I've known him for six years, and he hasn't looked at them as much as I've seen him look at you in one day."

"Really?" Harriet asked quietly, and Rain just nodded. The pair of them sat quietly in the dark for a minute, Rain letting go of Harriet's hand, before Harriet spoke softly, "Who else is in our room at Hogwarts, Rain...I already know you and Em, but..."

"Just one other girl, Cassie Ringo, but you won't ever see her...she spends all of her time with her boyfriend, he's in Hufflepuff on the team...Just be glad that neither one of them is smart enough to figure out how to get him up the girls stairs, or none of us would ever get any sleep," Rain shook her head at something, "Though I suppose that Em will be sneaking up to the boys' rooms or something...I admit that even though I knew something was going to happen, this is a surprise."

"I'm scared," Harriet whispered, "back where we were...there were perhaps a hundred kids, and they all hated me, made fun of me...but really, I think they were scared. My parents and Em's, the ones that would have been there, they were revered, like Merlin is here...sacrificed themselves to kill Voldemort, and then my parents showed up...it was like ghosts walking around."

"Well they are alive and well here...at least Harry and Hermione are...what are we planning on doing about you, Harriet? Are we going to keep with what you've let leak or..."

"My parents are Ron and Luna Weasley..." Harriet said, cutting her off, her voice firm, "I'm not going to go about shouting it from the Astronomy Tower, but I'm not lying about that either." Harriet grinned suddenly, "It is rather bad luck to misrepresent one's parentage, Goblins have been known to use that charge higher interest rates."

"Ok..."

**************************Black Manor******************************

August 23, 2015
1:20 pm

Octavius Malfoy, a pirate, a swindler, and definitely a murderer, had founded four hundred years prior, almost to the day, the house that now stood with the name of Black Manor. In those days, the vast commercial empires and investments that had financed, in many ways, at least two Dark Lords, had not existed. There was only the gold stolen from Muggle shipping, from unsuspecting widows, and from what he and his minions had taken from various corpses along the way. Over the next several hundred years, the Malfoys had bought their way into society, gradually increasing their wealth through legal and extra-legal means, until the scions of that line stood as almost the wealthiest and most powerful in all of Wizarding Europe. Their wealth was only eclipsed by the vast Black fortunes, and possibly the Potter ones, though the exact extent of that, never truly came to light.

In fact it had been a ploy, by Lucius' grandfather and father, to arrange the marriage with Narcissa, to scheme of a way to secure part or all of the Black fortune for themselves that had been behind Lucius' marriage as much as any concern for blood purity. It was only in the later years of that family that Blood Purity had been a great concern.

The house now, was not named for the house of Malfoy, but Black, having been purchased at a seizure auction, after the Ministry seized all of the Malfoy assets they could locate after Lucius' second capture. The current owner of the sprawling house walked along a garden path, skirting a pool that he had installed after he collapsed a set of underground chambers installed for his father's...entertainments.

Grey eyes glanced down and a brief, sardonic smirk lit his lips as he found amused brown eyes looking up at him over a pair of dark glasses, from a chaise set next to the pool. He slipped over, sitting on the edge of the chair and slowly running his fingers along her bare belly, before trailing his fingers up along her centerline. Long fingers slipped behind her neck, and slowly pulled at the tie of her top. "Draco...the kids might come along any time," Ginny whispered, though she made no effort to slow him down, in fact raising her neck slightly to allow him to succeed.

"I thought you still wanted a girl," he murmured, kissing her and letting his fingers trail down her sides to play with the ties on each side of her hips. "We can get started on that..."

"I remember getting caught by Hermione's sister and Nate, Draky," Ginny murmured, looking down as she slowly worked at his belt, undoing it and looking back out to catch his smirk, "Our children are scarred enough aren't they?"

"No, not really, besides, maybe Granger's sister will give her some pointers," Draco whispered as he slowly pulled on the knot. "I'm willing to risk it, if you are."

"MUM!" Nathan's voice called from somewhere in the house and Ginny gave Draco a moderately annoyed glare before quickly retying the bottoms and the top of her black bikini. She finished just in time to find Nathan and Anastasia coming out of the house, her son in trunks and a t-shirt, and the brunette witch in seemingly only a long t-shirt. "We were going to go for a swim, Mum, is that alright? Hi, Dad, I didn't know you'd be back early." Nathan's voice was odd as he asked.

"That's fine, honey," Ginny replied, ignoring her son's obvious, unstated implication, "You alright there, Anna?" She called and the brunette nodded as she reached down, peeling off her cover-up to reveal a dark blue bikini that was more or less acceptable on a modern Muggle beach. Anastasia stepped up onto the diving board, hopped twice and dove neatly into the blue pool, with a forward flip. She broke the surface halfway across the pool and swam over, standing in the shallows on the edge and pulling sodden curls back to lie against her spine. She smiled as Nathan yanked off his shirt and sat down on the edge of the pool next to her. He bent forward at the waist and kissed her, and Ginny hit Draco on the arm and motioned towards the house.

He shook his head and she glared, before he rolled his eyes, and stood, holding out a hand for Ginny, "We'll leave you then," he announced, leading her by the hand into the house. The sound of a loud splash and musical laughter came from the area of the pool, cut off as Ginny closed the previously open sliding door.

Ginny stopped on the way to the causal parlor, trailing behind him to grab a bottle of Pumpkin Juice from coldbox in the kitchen. She froze as a loud roar of disbelief edged with a trace of panic came from the parlor. She grabbed for her wand, fortunately she had left it on the kitchen counter earlier, and sprinted towards the sound, her bare feet slapping the inlaid floors of the mansion as she ran past several rooms and tore up a shallow set of stairs.

"What is it, Draco?" Ginny asked, as she slid into the room, her wand coming up in both hands to scan the room. It was comfortably appointed with large, soft couches and chairs, just slightly careworn furniture. The room was not how it would have been in his father's day, in that day, any worn furniture would have been disposed of long since. Any sign of weakness, not tolerated. When they had first moved in, officially, Draco had commented to Ginny in an unguarded moment that the house had never looked lived in when he was growing up, it was oddly only at Hogwarts that he had felt at home. Just like so many of the rest of them.

Ginny shook off the thought as he looked back at her, his normally pale face ashen and pointed towards a small wooden box set on the coffee table in front of a large padded couch.

The small wood box was ash or some other light colored wood, approximately the size and shape of a wand box. An embossed green serpent coiled upon itself on the lid, over an intertwined 'SS'. Ginny gasped slightly and looked over at him, wrapping her arms around herself and shivering in the warm house. "Put something on, Gin," Draco said, preoccupied, as he moved towards the box behind his wand.

Ginny summoned a sweatshirt from their bedroom and shrugged into it, shaking out her fall of red hair automatically. Draco knelt down next to the box, and touched it with his wand. "What is it, Dra..."

She screamed and jumped back, scrambling over a chair and falling to her bum as the box opened and a silvery-blue Pensieve projection, like a Muggle hologram, snapped into existence. The image stood in the middle of her coffee table and through it, like a ghost might, and sneered out at them. She climbed to her feet and moved to Draco, crawling into his arms. He wrapped them around her automatically, even as he stared over her shoulder at the face of a dead man.

"Good Afternoon, Draco," the image of Severus Snape, his former mentor, protector and architect of misery beyond counting said, almost pleasantly. "Now if you would get rid of whatever slag you happen to be fornicating with, I will wait," the image said impatiently. It waited several instants, while Ginny turned and glared at it, and Draco made no effort to obey the image. "Very well, even if you have not, from the normal caliber of your conquests, they will probably forget anyway."

"Fuck you," Ginny hissed and Draco reached up and ran his fingers though her hair, still mostly frozen as the image's dark eyes seemed to bore into his own. Distantly, he thought he felt a burning in his left forearm, where the mark had been before Hermione removed it with modified versions of the spells they had used to destroy the Horcruxes so many years before.

"If you are receiving this, years hence, I am assuming that you have failed in your attempts to kill Scrimgeour, you and that little blood-traitor slag..." the image sneered, "I assume by now that even you have left her in a pit somewhere...yes, Draco, I knew of your little fling and I admit that she has her...attractions, but even you should be ashamed to fornicate with Potter's leavings."

Ginny's eyes narrowed, and Draco tightened his arms around her, keeping her from blasting a hole through the floor into the room below. Snape's image gave another sneer, almost as if he had been saving them up for this moment and paced out from the coffee table, his image passing through the couch as if it were air. "You will do something for me, Draco," Snape said, "You will kill Potter, his little Mudblood Know-It-All and just in case they have managed to spawn, any of their leavings..."

"Get rid of that damn thing, Draco," Ginny snapped, "fucking wanker, thinks he can..."

"For if you do not..." Snape laughed quietly, darkly, "Several events will happen...first proof of both your and the little bitch Weasley's involvement in the attempted murder of a sitting Minister of Magic will be released to the Prophet, and the Auror's office, incompetent fools though they may be, they would love an easy catch such as that...Second, years and years ago, I gave you a potion...by now it would have migrated to whatever little whore you used to carry your spawn..." A silver flash of light filled the house, and Ginny collapsed in his arms, "Her condition will degenerate, Draco, that spell would have found her anywhere on the British Isles, and she die, horribly, painfully...It is a delayed version of the potion you were supposed to give Scrimgeour, but unlike that one..." he shook his head haughtily, "this one can not be flushed."

Draco gently lowered Ginny to the floor, kneeling with her in his lap as he slowly brushed hair from her eyes, his hand trembling slightly. "There are people watching, you have until the end of the school year, appropriate I think somehow, before she dies...and just in case you don't care about the slag, you will die a week later, with that week filled with pain that your tiny mind can not even imagine. If you successfully complete this...final assignment for me...an associate will deliver an antidote to you both, but if you fail, or tell anyone about this, it will be destroyed. Good day, Draco." The image faded away, and the box erupted into flames, charring the wood of the coffee table underneath.

"Draco?" Ginny asked weakly, blinking awake, "wha..."

"Sleep, luv," he bent and kissed her suddenly warm forehead, or maybe it was just his imagination. "Sleep." Draco picked her up, all ninety pounds of her soaking wet, and carried over to the couch, laying down and tightening his arms around her almost painfully.

Dum, de dum..... And next chapter, we try to get them back to school.

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10. Chapter 9 Bad Moon Rising

A/N: Nothing really to say today, I still own nothing really...Except the exponentially growing numbers of OC's and the plot. Thanks as usual to Lady Starlight for her work on this chapter and other...covert projects.

Chapter 9: Bad Moon Rising
*******************Platform 9 3/4 Kings' Cross Station, London******************

September 1, 2015
10:45 am

In six years, in all the times that Emilia Potter had boarded the train to go to return from Hogwarts, she had never ever felt the unsettled feeling in her stomach that roiled in it this clear September morning. The platform was filled to overflowing with parents, students, and a few staff members, arriving to the school late. Since the war had ended seventeen years ago, the roles of the school had been almost overflowing, with numbers of students unseen in the last two hundred years, for a plethora of reasons.

Durmstrang had...vanished, disappeared into the mists and icy fogs of its snow-bound surroundings, and Beauxbatons had been smashed, razed almost to the foundations in Voldemort's fury after being denied his victory there. The other schools in Europe were smaller, unable to take the overflow, leaving only Hogwarts, to handle most of the excess. Beyond that, the ancient school was still the preeminent Wizarding school in existence, even surpassing the large schools established in the Americas in the last four hundred years.

To top all of that off, the survivors of the war had celebrated in the ways of time immemorial...they had made more of themselves. Along with a curious phenomenon, still unexplained, that had increased the percentage of Muggle-borns by almost tenfold, very few of the graduating classes of 1990-2006 did not have at least one child boarding the train, with most having two or more.

She looked up and down the platform, down the long length of the scarlet train, thirty cars or so, as dozens of tiny first and second years yelled good byes to parents and trooped aboard the train towing trunks, pets and friends. Emilia sighed, biting her lip as she absently straightened a badge on her chest, before she looked around again. "What's wrong, Em?" Harry asked from behind her, watching as Elliot walked past with Abby in hand, holding her rather close.

Abby looked up for an instant and gave him a tired smile and Harry nodded in sudden understanding, seeing the very tips of her incisors poking down below her lips. "I see," Harry said, "Let me guess, Xander's a touch worse off and you're feeling it?"

"It's a bit of that, yeah, Dad," Emilia agreed absently, "But...I dunno," she glanced over at Harriet talking to Rain, a look of wonder on the redhead's face as she watched the better part of a thousand students find their ways aboard the cars. "Maybe it's Mum and my talk yesterday, or something else...I just don't know." She glanced around, "Where is Mum?"

Harry's eyes lost focus for an instant; "She was talking to Anna about something." He gestured with his head to the right, and Emilia looked over to see Hermione dropping nimbly from the train to the platform and pacing over. Harriet and Rain looked over at her from next to the train and Em motioned them onto the cars. Rain nodded and pulled the redhead along with her, even as Harriet looked back towards her with a tiny trace of something, a quick fleeting expression crossing her face that only seemed to increase the bit of discomfiture that Emilia felt.

Hermione slipped up, and stood close to Harry, "I was giving Anna a bit of advice about her new suite's...more interesting features," she explained, and Harry raised a single eyebrow. She raised both in return, and Harry cocked his head to the side, smirking very slightly. Emilia rolled her eyes as Hermione waggled her hand back and forth, making some gesture and Harry snorted, taking his wife's hand. She leaned against his shoulder, and Emilia sighed.

Before Emilia could express her amused annoyance with her parents, the other Potter approached from the side in the company of Justin Black. Hermione just smiled, and held out her arms, hugging him to her, even as he squirmed and tried to escape, "MUM," Sirius moaned and managed to pull away, "What if someone sees us?"

Harry laughed to himself as Hermione dropped her hands to her hips, "Sirius Ronald Potter...do you..."

Harry reached over and pulled her back against him, "Go on, get you sprats, the train is going to leave without you." Emilia grinned and darted forward, kissing Harry on the cheek, before hugging Hermione and kissing her as well.

"Come on, wandbrain," Emilia growled, grabbing her brother and towing him towards the train even as the Heads were calling for the last of the students to board. The remainder of the students, those still saying farewell to parents, those who were just lollygagging.

Hermione leaned back against Harry, her bottom lip in her teeth as they watched the scarlet train slowly start to chug out of the station, the only steam locomotive still functioning in Great Britain. Other parents and relatives watched with them, and slowly, as it passed out of sight, the platform began to empty as the crowd started to vanish, Apparating away, or simply passing through the trick wall into the main part of the Kings' Cross concourse.

Soon they were alone, save for a pair of janitors directing a series of animated push brooms that were sweeping away the debris from food wrappers, paper from last minute gifts and other refuse. See you at home, Hermione? Harry asked, and she nodded, still looking towards where the train had vanished. They are coming back, Hermione...if you want we can Apparate there tonight and greet them as they get off the train.

Hermione smiled softly, turning and pushing pack a loose lock behind her ear. I know I'm being silly, Harry...I just...I just wish that Albus had said, just what his 'solution' to our little girl's problem was, Harry shrugged, and slipped his hands in his pockets.

If it doesn't work, whatever it is...I suppose that Neville will see if he can control the children and grandchildren of the Marauders...

Bullocks, Hermione grinned, then the smile slipped even as the thought continued, Par and Lav lived up there that last... Harry just nodded and leaned forward, kissing her quickly and taking a step back, I'll be in the archives if you need me, Harry, I want to look up a few things, something seemed off about the other night. Harry nodded, agreeing. Love you, Hermione said softly, reached forward, and grabbed his hand.

She vanished without a sound and Harry swallowed heavily, as just for an instant, Hermione vanished from his consciousness. A heavy, sick feeling settled upon him and left just as quickly as he found her again, miles away somewhere under the Ministry Archives, which were located, these days, about a half kilometer under the MI-6 Headquarters on the bank of the Thames. Love you too, Hermione, Harry sent and received a wordless, warm sensation in return before he took a breath and Apparated away, headed to the Auror Academy located somewhere along the cost of the Channel, where he was scheduled to give a guest lecture on the use of basic spells in real-life duels.

********************The Leaky Cauldron*************************
11:55 pm

Draco looked up as Tom left their lunch on the table and reestablished the ward on the door to the private lounge he and Ginny were occupying. He looked across the table, covered with several Butterbeer bottles, and a large lunch, neither had had breakfast.

"I can't do this, Draco...you can't do this...you know what we owe them," Ginny said painfully. "I betrayed them once, Draco, and you know what..."

"Do you think I like it any better?" Draco snapped, jumping to his feet and flinging the butterbeer bottle he was holding to smash into the wall across from them. "Goddamn it, Gin...my oldest son is going to marry Hermione's sister...what do you think I'm going to do, go 'Hey, son, your mum and I had to kill your fiancée's sister, cause we FUCKED UP ROYALLY when we were your age. Have fun at the family reunions'."

"He's going to marry her?" Ginny asked softly, her voice trembling slightly.

Draco snorted, "Yeah, he and I went to pick out the ring this summer..." He looked back and down as she stood from the table and walked over to him. She wrapped her arms around his side and buried her face in his robes. "I don't know what we're going to do, Gin..." he said to her unanswered question, "but I've lost too much in my life to those bastards, my dad, Snape, Riddle...I'm not going to let them take you from me."

******************Hogwarts Express, In-Route to Hogwarts***************

7:45 pm

Emilia Potter sighed and looked out the window at the rapidly darkening countryside as they passed through the lower part of the Highlands of Scotland, still about an hour from Hogsmeade and her second home. A huge, blood-red moon hung full over the hills as she looked out and she sighed, frowning as she turned away from the window and looked down into her lap.

She gnawed on her bottom lip; a habit most like inherited though her genes as she watched Xander shiver slightly, and heard him make a soft, almost moan. She slowly started to comb her fingers though his hair, and ignored the slightly nauseous feeling in her own belly, a side-effect. He rolled over, to face her, though his eyes were still closed, How much longer, Em? he muttered.

Probably about an hour, baby, Emilia whispered back sympathetically.

He rolled enough to kiss her thigh, and she smiled faintly, I'm sorry.

It's alright, we'll get you there and you can go straight up to bed, she murmured, her fingers not pausing in their constant motion. She looked up and around the compartment, filled with her family and friends and shrugged to herself. Of course, Xander had not broached the thought that both of them shared, what exactly was to become of them once they did get to school? Dumbledore had said that he had a solution to their 'small problem' in mind, but neither of them had yet learned just what that solution might be.

Unconsciously, her eyes flickered upwards and across the compartment, towards the luggage rack where her trunk was sitting, and her thoughts flashed to the Invisibility Cloak, she knew was hidden on the bottom layer of her trunk. She shook off the thought and glanced around the car at the rest of the ones crowded into the car with her.

Harriet sat on the seat with her and Xander, his feet up in her lap, with a copy of the Quibbler held sideways before her. She was periodically sharing a random comment, like "the Rock Spinglers are abundant this year" or "Do you think that Crumple-Horned Snorkacks would make a decent pet? Grandfather Lovegood seems to think so," with Rain. Rain shared a quick hidden grin with Emilia as before making a soft, affirmative sound to Harriet, and returning to Dark Arts Defense Quarterly, her father had written another of his guest articles on magical weaponry in the Twenty-First Century.

Next to Rain, on the other side of Hipper, who was looking down at Gaheris, where the Familiar was acting as a footrest for his mistress, Elliot propped in a corner with Abigail in his lap, she was curled in a ball and snoring slightly, but Emilia knew that that was probably better than the vague, unsettling sickness that Xander was suffering though. Though to be honest, Em had a rather strong suspicion that Elliot just might have slipped a Sleeping Draught into his tiny, younger, girlfriend's Pumpkin Juice over lunch. Which as Abigail's temper was not the greatest normally, let alone at the full moon, and that she was nearly as strong as Emilia, when boosted, that might not have been an unwise idea.

Abby made a soft growling noise in her sleep and Elliot hugged his arms around her more tightly. He looked over at Em with a faint, knowing smile, "At least mine is light." Emilia gave him an answering grin, and glanced back out the window, to see a line of trees start to close in on either side of the train.

"I..." Emilia cut off and turned towards the compartment door, as it slid open and Justin Black slipped in, his arm around her brother. She sighed mightily, taking in both of their appearances, as they staggered in. Harriet's eyes grew huge as she saw the blood dripping down behind Sirius' glasses and she popped to her feet, sending her magazine flying along with nearly tumbling Xander to the floor. .

Harriet tripped over her own Familiar in her sudden, unthinking rush to get him settled, setting him down, almost forcefully, in her vacated seat as Xander grunted something and sat upright. Emilia allowed herself a good thirty seconds of mixed exasperation at her brother, and her de facto cousin, and amusement as Harriet knelt before Sirius, and pulled off his glasses and started to dab at the cut on his forehead.

Justin did not quite meet Emilia's eyes as she stood, carefully trying to not disturb Xander any more than necessary. She glanced at Rain, and with the dint of six years of being best friends, sisters in truth really, Rain reached up, yanked Justin totally into the car, and slid the door shut. Emilia took a breath, her hands settling on her hips, "Sirius Ronald Potter," she said lowly, her voice a flat growl, "What in the bloody hell do you think you were doing-fighting on the train, you are a Prefect last time I looked, or are you trying to have Uncle Nev...Professor Longbottom take it from you before you even get to the school...I..."

"Em," Justin said softly, cutting across her as she started to channel her mother, "It wasn't his fault, he was trying to stop it..." Emilia shot Sirius a small apologetic look and he shrugged, shaking off the wordless apology.

"Fine," Emilia replied flatly, her eyes tracked down to a bloodstain on Justin's white uniform shirt, which was also splattered on his blue and bronze tie, "what happened."

Justin shrugged, "I was visiting Virginia, Lawrence, Andrew and Shin, they are in the next car forward. I left and was headed to go see if I could find Sirius and then come here, when I got shoved into an compartment door." He waved at his bloody nose, which Em rolled her eyes at, reached behind her back and drew her wand, flicking it at him, and stopping the bleeding. "Thanks, I'll have to have Pomfrey fix it when we get there." Emilia crooked a single eyebrow, and he shrugged again. "I turned around and went for my wand and someone shot it out of my hand." He looked at Harriet, "Parker was there with his cronies; he had Hamilton's little bitch..."

"Justin," Rain snapped.

"Hamilton's daughter hanging off him," he corrected himself, "and Bancroft and Plessy, with him, they hit me a couple of times, while she just dangled my wand in front of me like I was a dog or something...Parker asked me what it was like having a Blood-Traitor Slag for a mother..." his eyes flicked to Harriet, "He asked if she had even recovered from having Potty's bastard, before Nate was conceived with Dad..."

Emilia looked at Sirius, he glanced up, moving just his eyes as Harriet was holding onto his head with both hands, and dabbing at the cut on his head. "I heard the fighting and ran down the compartment only to get hit from behind, someone came out of a compartment I was passing..." He grinned slightly, "I got Bancroft with an Explosive Flatulence Jinx, and Plessy with a Seeping Puss Hex..." He sighed as Emilia shook her head, "What would you have done, then, Em? Take points?"

"Incarcerous, maybe, possible a couple of Leg-Lockers..." she replied, and glanced back to Xander. He was now sitting up and paying attention, though he still looked pale. She slid back and perched on his knee, "I suppose they ran like the cowards they are, didn't they?"

"Yeah, sis, I had them outnumbered," Sirius replied, and both of them knew, just how true that was if they were ever pushed...and the lengths that they went to not to squash annoyances. It would disappoint their parents.

Emilia opened her mouth to reply, when a horrible, terrible squealing rang out throughout the train and the world seemed to hit a wall. Emilia crashed back against Xander, cracking the back of her head on the wall as the lights in the train went out all at once. Screams of fear and cries of pain echoed from the rest of the train, as Emilia blinked wetness, that she knew from unfortunate experience was blood, out of her eyes. She made a small gesture with her hand, pointed more or less towards the ceiling and a glowing, white ball of light filled the compartment with a soft glow. Emilia fought to her feet and looked down at Abby where she had smashed her brow into the seat next to her.

Abby shook herself like a dog and let Elliot pull her to her feet. "Everyone alright?" he asked, looking around the car. The rest nodded or murmured an affirmative; Sirius was holding Harriet, who looked rather comfortable actually. He summoned his glasses to him, just as the door to the compartment opened, and Anastasia poked her head in.

She looked rather more disheveled than even the sudden stop of the train could account for, but Emilia did not comment as she looked around the compartment, "Em, Sirius, Xander...hell all of you except Harriet and Abby..." she sighed at the rebellious looks, "ok, come on..." she dropped her voice, "Em, something's wrong...the engineer hit the emergency brakes, the bridge was out..."

Emilia nodded looked to Rain, "Rain, get your toy." Rain's eyes widened somewhat and she jumped up on her seat and touched a silver stud set just below her name on her trunk. A long, thin, hidden compartment fell open and a slim, sheathed blade tumbled into her hand. "Anna..."

"I already tried mirrors, Em, something's blocking them, I sent my Patronus to the school but that will probably take twenty or thirty minutes to get there from here. You can't send to your parents?" she asked hopefully, not watching as Rain grabbed her summer cloak and flipped it inside out, reversing it so the bright red was changed with the black inside. She slid it on as Emilia shook her head.

"No, if it were Xander, yeah, but with Mum and Dad it's just feelings, and unless they happen to be concentrating on us..." Emilia accepted her own dark cloak without a word from Xander and followed Anastasia into the corridor. The rest of the compartment trooped out after her, passing the Prefects from the other houses as they were moving the students towards the front of the train, concentrating them in the front cars.

Em, Xander sent, and she could feel it as he started to let his baser nature slip, not helped by the large, full moon hanging low in the sky as they reached the end of the car and slid the door open. Emilia grabbed an iron railing and swung down onto the ground next to the train lightly, her skirt and cloak flaring slightly with the motion. She let her wand fall into her hand as she scanned the surrounding forest, which even though she had grown up in Godric's Hollow, where there were no lights from nearby cities, seemed rather dark and foreboding. She looked back to find Xander next to her, his wand hanging in his hand next to his leg.

"Em, don't get too far from the train," Anastasia called from near the caboose car. Emilia turned as Nathan ran up to his girlfriend and slid to a halt, gravel skittering from around his boots.

"It looks like several Reductor hits to the pilings," he said, just loud enough Anastasia and the others who were crowded around them to hear.

"We need to get back, defend the students cars," Emilia whispered urgently, and shoving Xander in that direction. He took a step and froze, his head turned slowly towards the Forest crowding them in on either side. He looked over to his sister, who was still standing on the landing of the caboose car, mostly to get her vantage point up where she could see. Emilia swallowed heavily as she looked over and then back at Xander, the whites were totally gone from their eyes, and the moonlight, now a pristine white, glinted off lowered fangs.

A deep, haunting howl cut through the night, sending shivers down those standing outside. "We have to move," Xander growled urgently, reaching back and grabbing Emilia, and pulling her along.

"What?" Nathan sputtered, looking around for the source of the sound. Another howl then another and another rang out.

"Werewolves," Abby said, her voice oddly flat. She bounded over the rail without seeming to move and reached up, grabbing Elliot and literally tossing him almost fifteen feet towards the head of the train, which was stopped only feet from a three-hundred foot gorge leading to the river far below.

No further words were needed as the students sprinted along the railbed, headed for the front cars where, by now, all of the students were congregated, via a plan put in place years ago. We're fucked, Em, Xander sent, his 'voice' rather deeper than normal and...hungry. Emilia clenched her hand around her wand, trying not to think about that.

Gryffindors lead the way, Xan, she muttered in return. "Anna, Nate..." Emilia said, unconsciously turning her back to the train and facing out into the darkness. "Take everyone and keep them from the students..." she looked up at Rain, who nodded and reached under her cloak. A thin, double-edged sword slipped free into her hand, and she held it low to her side, the silver alloy glinting. She grabbed a ladder and scrambled up to the top of the cars, holding the sword one handed until she reached the top and knelt down, drawing her wand with her off hand and holding it out.

"What are you going to be doing?" Anastasia asked, her wand in her hand pointing out towards the woods.

Emilia looked over at her brother as he brushed back the dark cloak he had slipped on, exposing the hilt of his own blade, "Giving Mum and Dad time to get here," and making sure that they have enough time to avenge us, she added silently. Hermione's sister gave her a look; then jumped back up onto the train car, pulling Nathan along to help organize the prefects to uphold her responsibilities, as Emilia waited for hers.

"Sirius, take Harriet, and Justin, take the other side, I'll keep Xan with me," she looked at Abby and Elliot, "you two get inside and block the cars, double check that..." Emilia's eyes flared as she dove to the side, all time for planning gone as a silver jet ripped out of the night and splattered against the train behind her. She spun to the side, catching a dark blur leaping up on top of the car, and she put that aside, as four dark, cloaked figures stepped from the darkness, their wands spitting fire towards her.

The world abruptly slowed, to her eyes. She stutter-hopped to the side, as a jet of green rushed past, her wand tracked up, slowly and bucked twice...A pair of attackers tumbled back into the weeds, their chests gone. Emilia danced sideways, distantly hearing her brother screaming something, and a white flash lit the night. "EM, DOWN!" Xander screamed and she dove as a Reductor ripped from the side, vaporizing a four-foot hole in the side of the train.

On the other side of the train, Sirius ducked as an attacker charged out of the darkness, a dark black blade in his hand. He scrambled back, rolling and coming up with his sword free in his hand. He beat aside an attack, and caught another on his sword, pushing it to the side and away. He hopped straight backwards, emerald eyes flickered to life and he spun left...his blade cut up and right, and the attacker took a step and fell away in a spray of red.

Sirius fought the sudden gorge that tried to force its way up and looked around, even as he flicked his blade clean. He turned to his right and his heart...stopped. A wand appeared in the darkness, pointed towards Harriet's back where she was covering behind a small pile of rocks, exchanging fire with a pair of cloaked figures at the edge of the woods. The figure rose, twisting his wand, the tip already growing green, "AVADA-"

"NO!" Sirius screamed, a visible pulse of magic picked up the assailant and flung him against a pine, twenty feet up, to impact with a loud crunch that carried over the sound of the fighting. Harriet looked back towards him, her eyes widened and she jabbed her wand at him. Sirius dropped to the ground as her Piercing Charm snapped just past where his head had been and drilled a neat hole in the shoulder of a dark figure behind. He staggered away into the trees, his hand to his shoulder and his wand laying abandoned where he had stood. Sirius summoned it, and snapped it underfoot, before running to Harriet.

He ducked as Rain rained a stuttering series of Reductors over their heads, showering the entire treeline in a wave of white explosions. A pair of dark shapes flew through the air, and Justin aimed into the darkness, his wand tracking towards their bodies to summon their wands, and a red bolt snapped from somewhere behind, clipping him between the shoulder blades and sending him tumbling. "JUSTIN'S DOWN!" Sirius yelled and Rain looked down, her face white.

A furry shape rose from between the forward cars and sprinted at Rain along the top of the cars, she glanced up, just as claws scraped the top of the car down from her and she leapt backwards, her wand falling away, as both of her hands gripped her sword. Ergo Allcerato...Her blade flicked up as the world slowed down, almost as fast as Emilia's could and flicked across a paw.

The were howled and took a breath, charging her. She ducked a swipe of claws and batted aside a glistening, drooling set of jaws as they snapped at her throat. She took a blind step backwards, and another...her feet slipped out from under her as she tripped over a railing...the were leapt...Rain's arse hit the roof of the car, she planted the hilt of the sword...the tip of her blade slid with only faint resistance up and through the open were's mouth just as a swipe of claws ripped her left leg open from hip to knee.

Rain cried out, and tried to stand, only to collapse again. "I'm ok," she screamed to Emilia, knowing that her friend was already looking up...

A crunch sounded in the rail cars directly below Rain, and Elliot and Abby looked up, their backs to the car that held the first of the students. "BACK!" she snapped, hearing the door open behind her and a pair of Ravenclaw prefects fired wild Stunners though the gap, almost hitting her as someone had already blue-on-blued, Justin outside. The Stunners snapped past, hitting the were to absolutely no effect. Anastasia' voice could be heard behind them pulling the pair past as the were charged, and Abigail, all eighty pounds of her, flickered into motion, almost vanishing in the dim car as she leapt, bounded once off the wall and jabbed with her wand in mid-air.

A hail of silver darts ripped into the were from only a foot away, shredding its side and it fell away. She straightened and felt herself flying, crashing back and through a window into the darkness outside. A second were sprinted down the length of the car, bounded off the left, then right walls, and hit Elliot like a runaway bowling ball, not even bothering to slow as he tossed Elliot into a wall, his head banging against a compartment door. He slid to the ground as the were charged forward, ripped off the door to the next compartment, stepped out onto the landing separating the cars...And died as a silver blade rammed downward from above with almost the last of Rain's strength.

The were tumbled to the ground next to the train, taking Rain's sword with it, as the dark-haired girl laid down flat on her back. Spells still ripped from the treeline, as she looked down and frowned at the shredded ruin of her skirt. She summoned her wand, and flicked it at the wound. Instantly white bandages bound her leg. They stained red instantly but she was back in the fight.

Down below, Emilia glanced up to see her wave, then forward, watching as three weres slipped from the treeline, approaching her slowly, wearily. She looked over, as they started to circle her.

They sniffed the air, looking at her and Xander and leapt through the air, darting at them in a blurred rush of fur and claws. Emilia flipped backwards, dodging one, landed in a roll, and flung her sword sideways, catching the second just as it leapt, and opening up its belly. It fell away, and Emilia snap-kicked to her feet. She kicked off her left Mary Jane, having lost the right one dodging.

Emilia took a deep breath, her sword held vertical in front of her, between herself and the were. She started to back away, moving slowly back towards the chasm.

Twenty feet away, Xander dove sideways, barely dodging the attack of the other werewolf. He ducked another strike, jumped backwards, and a hail of silver darts snapped from his wand, ripping off the were's leg at the hip.

Emilia slowly backed from her were, she flicked her sword to the side, knocking a strike away. She beat another hit away, and her blade flicked into motion, driving the were back, sending him stumbling back, suddenly the prey. She ducked a sideways slice of a clawed hand-paw, and her sword flicked up and left, and back right. A head tumbled away. She straightened...

A wizard appeared with a CRACK, "EM!" Xander screamed and dove in from the side, just as a purple wave of flame ripped across the ten feet between them, and Xander crumpled. Emilia vanished and reappeared, her sword beheading the Death Eater with a single strike.

NO! she moaned, diving in next to her bondmate, and dropping her sword next to her. She did not look up as Rain limped over, and knelt gingerly next to her. Rain's wand was out, covering the woods as another ten Weres began to slowly approach, joined by another twelve or so on Sirius' side. Wake up, Xander...please, Emilia moaned, not noticing the resumed danger as terror filled her mind...

****************Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry***************
8:16pm

Albus Dumbledore stood in front of a full-length, tri-fold mirror in plain black robes, his long auburn hair pulled back into a tail and hanging down his spine. He rubbed a hand over a neat beard as several sets of wild, on anyone else possibly ghastly, robes paraded out of his closet and hung before him for a moment. He shook his head as a dark purple set with chartreuse dragons paused for a moment, and looked back.

He tapped his long, crooked nose with a forefinger as he looked between a royal blue set with a large Hogwarts' Crest decorating the back, and a ruby red set with an almost subdued lion on the chest. He pointed at the royal blue set, directing it to his large four-poster, where it laid itself over the foot of the bed. The rest of the robes filed back into his closet, and he paced over to a tall, golden perch where a large, crimson and gold, swan-like bird looked on with faintly-veiled amusement.

"Not everyone can not be as effortlessly magnificent as you, my friend," Dumbledore said, smiling as he ran his long fingers over Fawkes' head. The phoenix chirped contently, and Dumbledore grinned even more fully.

He walked through an open, glowing portal into the large, round room that was once again his office, and stepped to his desk, where piles and piles of paper awaited his signature, or glance, or occasionally, maybe if they were from Gringotts', a drop or two of blood.

He looked up as a silver light briefly manifested in the room, leaving behind a brief impression of a silver bird of some sort, possibly an owl. Dumbledore's face went pale as the light faded away and he waved his hand at the hearth, filling the floo with emerald green flames. "Ministry of Magic," a voice came from the floo, and he cut it off before it could even finish the greeting, "The Hogwarts Express is under attack, get the Aurors there now."

The flames cut away instantly as the dispatcher at the other end was diving for another means of communication. Dumbledore flicked his wand and a silver phoenix shot out, and flew right through the wall, headed towards the Great Hall where his staff was mostly already gathered. "FAWKES!" the Phoenix settled on his shoulder and the pair of them vanished in a fall of fire, leaving behind a single, golden feather slowly settling to the ground.

*********************Godric's Hollow*******************************

8:10 pm

When Harry and Hermione had replaced the furniture and appointments of their home, after the Dark Lord had destroyed it for a second time, they had had few requirements, really. The huge, comfortable bed in the master bedroom one of those, naturally, along with a truly excessive number of bookshelves scattered throughout the house.

The enchantments to actually provide enough space for Hermione's ever-growing library, had taxed even Dumbledore, when he had cast them as a belated house-warming present.

But it was one of the simplest, which at the same time, was one of the most important. Hermione sighed quietly as she curled back into Harry, snuggling her head under his as they lay together on the large, comfortable couch that had served them for innumerable naps, talks, playing with the sprogs, and other minutia of their lives. Tonight though, no words or actions were needed, not really.

Hermione slowly intertwined the fingers of her left hand with his, where it rested low on her belly, pushing up her jumper just enough to rest warmly the bare skin of her belly, with the very tips of his fingers slipped under the waistband of her jeans. She looked down the length of her body, to see their bare feet tangled together, and she grinned to herself, as she grabbed his toes with her own.

The soft sound of a CD playing on an enchanted stereo filled the room, playing more to cut the silence than anything, as Harry kissed the top of her head, and she made a quiet, contented sound. The glow of a heatless fire filled the room from the hearth. Hermione?

Ummm?

Harry grinned and moved the fingers that were slipping, habitually, under her jeans and she laughed softly, squirming as he moved them. You know, Hermione, Harry said very softly, the very tone of his thoughts causing a jump in her pulse rate, isn't it about time to start the re-christening of the house? We can start right here, he added hopefully.

He knew she smiled softly, even though she was facing away from him, Shouldn't we start with the Pitch...while the weather is still nice outside? she inquired, Honestly, it would be only practical, she added almost primly.

That's why I love you, always thinking of our best interests, Harry replied lovingly. Hermione snorted and grew silent, You miss them, don't you, Hermione. She nodded, and then shrugged, rolling over to face him, before burying her face in his chest. Harry sputtered softly, spitting hair out of his mouth, before he absently started to draw small circles on the small of her back with one finger. We can go see them if you want, Hermione. My offer from before still stands, all you have to do is grab your shoes and socks. We can still beat the train there.

She sighed, and curled more tightly into his chest, We shouldn't...I just miss them, Harry, it always seems so empty here when they are gone.

I'm here, Hermione, Harry muttered, and she nodded.

I know, baby...and honestly, it's all I need, but...

I understand, Harry replied, bending his head enough to kiss her forehead. She smiled slightly, the emotion felt but unseen, and closed her eyes, concentrating on the soft heartbeat her senses could discern. Harry looked out over her head for a minute, then two, as she settled down completely, her thoughts slipping into the busy, background hum that filled her mind at almost every waking moment, only broken by... So, Hermione, what about that suggestion from earlier?

She didn't respond, not in words, as she slowly squirmed upwards, nuzzling his neck. He laughed softly, as his hands, left their idle ministrations and began to move slowly, pushing up the back of her jumper, far enough to detect she had been rather relaxed when she changed to the old, overly large jumper of Harry's that she had put on when she had returned home.

Hermione leaned back; smirking slightly as she wormed her way higher, kissing along the side of his neck, and then, chin. "How about we do start here?" she whispered against his lips and leaned forward slightly, pressing hers to his. Her eyes slipped closed, as she felt her heart rate start to spike, and her thoughts begin to swirl, rushing forward, when....

HOOT, a loud ring tone shouted from their mirrors, in almost exact synchronicity and Hermione and Harry groaned as one. Harry gave her an apologetic glance, and held up a hand, summoning his to his hand. If it had been any other night, not a full moon with Remus incapacitated, they might have ignored it...maybe.

Harry flipped it open with one hand as he moved to a sitting position against the arm of the couch, slightly hampered by Hermione not pulling away enough to easily accomplish that goal. The mirror swirled and split, fading into an image of a MLE dispatcher. The Potters instantly sobered, any thoughts of their interrupted distraction vanishing at the white, panicked look on the man's face, a face that had been carefully trained to remain calm no matter what, not even if he was listening to the final moments of some Auror somewhere as they were killed.

It had happened before.

"S...sir," he started and stopped, glancing back over his shoulder in the small image.

"What?" Harry asked; then looked up as Hermione tumbled off of the couch diving for the aforementioned shoes and socks. She whipped on a pair of trainers, and Harry's eyes widened as his own flashed from near the door and laced themselves on. The mirror dropped from his hand as the sudden spike of fear, pulsed though his veins, and Hermione flung a sheathed blade at him. "Get a team there, NOW!" Harry snapped towards the mirror, even before the dispatcher could force himself to say that the Hogwarts Express had been hit.

The kids' links to their parents were only rudimentary compared to Harry and Hermione's or even Em and Xander's. They could feel each other's emotions at times, but not thoughts, and not over the length of Great Britain. Not like Harry could decide what to fix for dinner by what Hermione was craving even if she were in Aberdeen and he was home on the coast of Wales. But even so, as they both focused on them, they could feel the terror both of their children felt.

Hermione glanced up at him, buckling a weapons belt around her hips and tying down the wand sheath to her thigh. She reached back, checking that her blades were there, and just for a millisecond let a rational thought that they probably should learn a bit more before rushing in cross her mind. The thought died, savaged under much older, baser instincts that even her analytical mind could not fathom properly. She vanished without a sound, and Harry followed immediately thereafter, only managing to barely buckle on his own weapons belt and slide the mirror into a pouch that allowed it to broadcast to the his ears wirelessly, before he vanished as well.

Sorry about that...

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11. Chapter 10: A Dark Sheen in the Moonlight

A/N: Here we go. Thanks, as usual to Lady Starlight for her work on this chapter.
Chapter 10: A Dark Sheen in the Moonlight
*******************Southern Highlands of Scotland*******************

The pack of ten werewolves slowly began to circle Rain and Emilia as they crouched over Xander. Rain looked up, and flicked her wand towards the train. Her sword shot out of the darkness and dropped into her free hand. "Em, get up, Em..." she whispered fiercely, prodding her with the toe of her shoe. Emilia looked up, and at the line of death arrayed in front of them, pinning them against the train, and further back the chasm that the bridge had once spanned.

"EM!" Sirius yelled over the top of the car, "I'm..."

Emilia snapped out of her fugue, "NO, STAY THERE!" she screamed, standing and calling her blade to her hand. She slowly moved to stand back to back with Rain, the pair of them standing over Xander who was unconscious, the side of his uniform shirt red and glistening.

Emilia's eyes relit, and a faint, ghostly blue flame licked up the edge of her blade, "BACK OFF!" she snapped, as one of the Weres took a step forward. It leapt, covering the twenty feet between her and Rain in a single bound. It leapt again, and Emilia blurred to her left, and snapped her blade back. The wolf stumbled back, staggering towards Rain, who cut left and back, and it fell to the ground, shuddered once and died.

The remaining nine howled as one, sending an atavistic shiver up the girls' spines. Xander moaned quietly at Emilia's feet. The wolves paused for one long moment...

Nine furry forms streaked across the ground, their claws skittering on the loose gravel of the rail bed. They shot forward, fifteen, ten, five feet away---

A flare of fire lit the night, and a thunderous baritone filled the air, "NOT TONIGHT!" A wave of scarlet fire ripped across the werewolf line, scattering them like tenpins and sending them tumbling back, howling as flames licked at their fur. Dumbledore took a step, eyes glowing with pure magic as he shot an empty hand out, crashing five of the wolves into the side of the locomotive where they slid to the ground and stopped. The other four looked at each other and ran...or at least started to...they froze, as still as statues...

A beat later, on the other side of the train, Sirius grabbed Harriet and they both moved over to where Abigail was stirring next to the train. She was lying under the window she had been flung out of. "SIRIUS!" Harriet cried as five or six robed attackers slid from the darkness, even as the fight with the remaining weres was continuing, on the other side of the train. Sirius looked over towards Justin, where he was still laying unconscious, victim of a 'friendly' Stunner.

Sirius flung up a shield, just as three silver bolts snapped across the night. They hit with a ringing clatter and shot straight up to the stars. He glanced to his right, just in time to see Justin's unconscious body fly past, as Harriet summoned him. She tucked him under the train, out of the way, and grabbed Sirius' shoulder pulling him to his feet. He in turn almost tossed the youngest Lupin five feet behind him, as Harriet hammered out three Reductors in quick succession, a pair deflected off into the forest, shattering trees and sending the scent of pine into the air, and a third gained a cut-off scream. The trio turned and ran as a rain of fire chased them, thankfully none coming near Justin's resting place.

CRACK, a pair of wizards appeared in front of the teens, their wands already bearing-

A hissing blue ball of plasma shot across the way, exploding in the ambushers' midst, half-vaporizing one and crashing another back into the train.

The remaining three dark ones turned to run, and froze as a dark-haired shape loomed in front of them. Harry spun in place, vanishing and reappearing next to them. A wand dimpled the ear of one, a silver flash and he crumpled. A blonde haired women jabbed her wand at Harry, "AVADA KEDAVRA," he dodged without seeming to move, and her curse shot past hitting her remaining partner. He crumpled in place as Harry vanished again, appeared next to the blonde, and his hands shot forward, neatly stripping the woman of her wand, rolled right and his elbow crashed against the back of her skull, sending her bonelessly to the ground.

Harry straightened and tossed the woman's wand up in the air, where it vanished in a flare of fire. He looked over at Hermione, who was next to Sirius, she waved him to the other side of the train, and he vanished, reappearing next to Dumbledore.

Harry's heart staggered as he found Emilia, cradling Xander in her lap. "MIONE!" Harry snapped, and a beat later Hermione appeared, with Sirius and Harriet in her arms. She dove to her knees next to her daughter, who was sobbing softly, and quickly felt for a pulse in Xander's neck. Hermione let out a breath she had not been conscious she was holding as she found a slow, weak beat.

"XAN!" Abby cried as she clambered though the space between a pair of cars and sprinted at her brother, only to be caught and wrapped up in Harry's arms.

"No, Poppet," Harry muttered, holding her back, and she seemed to collapse. Hermione looked up over Xander and caught Harry's eyes, her bottom lip trembling slightly, before she took a breath and ran her wand along the side his shirt, opening it like it had a zipper to find what she half knew she would, a long, ragged tear in his side, white bone glinting softly in the blood. She reached down into her essentials pouch and dug out a phial of purple potion, she poured it over the wound, sealing it roughly in a cloud of acrid, red smoke.

A rush of wind and a fall of color filled the air, and Neville Longbottom and Poppy Pomfrey tumbled out into the night. Poppy took one look around the area and moved spryly to Xander, kneeling down next to him and pulling several items from a bottomless bag she had dropped next to herself.

She started to work on him as CRACKs filled the night air and twenty Aurors appeared out of nothingless and spread out, their wands casting white beams into the gloom. Harry motioned them into the trees with hand signals and slowly moved to stand next to his wife. He handed Abigail to Neville for a moment, and looked up just as Anastasia jumped down from the train. She had her wand in hand as she turned back to the train and said something to a Prefect in Hufflepuff colors who was following her. Dumbledore looked to her, "Are there any injured on board, Miss Granger?"

She looked up at him, her eyes a hair glassy as she turned from Xander, "Wha..." she took a breath, and her vision cleared, "I think Elliot may have a concussion, sir..." Poppy made a gesture without looking up from Xander and Neville and Abigail ran for the car, Abby cursing herself under her breath, as she remembered Elliot.

"Albus," Poppy said softly as she pointed to Xander and rose to her feet. Dumbledore grabbed a stone from the ground next to him, and laid it on his chest, and touched it with his wand. It glowed blue and hopped about, before settling back down.

"Go with him, Em," Harry said, and Emilia grabbed the stone and they both vanished in a rush of wind. Hermione looked up at Harry and made a tiny, almost unnoticeable gesture towards Sirius and Harriet, both of them were looking at the empty spot where Emilia and Xander had been with wide eyes. Hermione walked over to the pair and lead them away, ostensibly to look over the other side of the train in more detail.

"Are there any more, Miss Granger?" Dumbledore asked flatly, looking over the train, which, as someone summoned several Illumination Orbs, showed the night's damage readily.

"Not really, sir, just some bumps and such..." Her eyes narrowed slightly as she looked back towards the train, "Justin took a Stunner...from our own side...I will be bringing that up at the next Prefects' meeting, the rest are some cuts and such," she frowned slightly, "though I will admit that I thought I saw Abby get tossed through a window..."

"Very well, Miss Granger. Have Mr. Black and yourself see to getting the students together by year, we will Portkey them to the school." Hermione's sister nodded and headed back towards the train, just as a pair of Aurors came out of the darkness, dragging a cloaked man between them. He was bleeding from the shoulder, fragments of a white mask still hung around his face and his cloak was torn, ripped as he tried to escape.

They tossed him at Harry's feet. Harry gestured and the man floated up, his feet hanging several inches of the ground. He squirmed, trying to escape the invisible bonds that held him firm. "Who are you working for?" Harry snarled, his eyes pulsing softly with his heartbeat.

The Death Eater smirked, and spat a wad of blood at Harry. The wad shot across the two-foot gap, and stopped in mid-air, sliding down to the ground as if hitting a glass wall. The Death Eater rolled his tongue around in his cheek....He shuddered and convulsed, a green foam escaping suddenly slack lips. Harry pulled back quickly, only to watch as the man slumped lifelessly, his eyes going eternally blank. "Bullocks," Harry snapped and turned from the body, letting it drop to the ground. He did not say a word to Dumbledore as the Chief Warlock bent to it. Harry slowly paced over, following the mental trace of his wife, to the other side of the train.

He found them after a minute, Hermione was kneeling next to Sirius, who was on his hands and knees next to the train tracks and his face was rather green. He was panting softly, his eyes unfocused as he seemed to be staring at the gravel. She silently conjured him a glass of water and handed it to him. He just now realized, Harry, she explained almost silently.

Harry nodded, feeling rather ill himself. He flinched slightly as he felt the first of many Portkeys erupt near him as Dumbledore started to send the students on to the school. Soft popping sounds joined the rush of Portkeys as Hogwarts' Elves started to arrive and vanish, taking away the luggage. At least half of them are paid these days, Harry thought randomly, and just glanced down, totally unsurprised, as Dobby appeared at his feet. "Can you make sure that the family's luggage makes it, Dobby?" Harry asked, and Dobby just nodded, for once not at all loquacious, and vanished with another soft POP.

Harry looked down at his hands, noticing, just now that he had his wand in hand and slipped it into his sheath before walking over to Hermione and kneeling behind her, wrapping his arms around her and Sirius. "Harriet," he said softly, she looked at him, her eyes were wet and he saw several silver trails slipping down her cheeks, "grab onto Sirius, Honey." Harry took a breath and all four of them vanished without a sound.

************************Ambush Site******************************
September 2, 2015
2:25 pm

The site of the attempted ambush of the Hogwarts express was vastly different by the light of the sun, from the dark desperate fighting the night before. The long, thirty-car train still sat where it had stopped, several cars were heavily damaged and the locomotive was at least partially derailed. Several members of the Department of Magical Transportation were standing around, looking at the engine and scratching their heads, while a short, greying Wizard examined the tracks closely.

Beyond the engine, which had stopped in the nick of time the night before, a deep chasm gapped, with only air for two hundred feet between the ruined end of the bridge hanging halfway across the gorge and the shattered tracks at the edge of the cliff.

Harry looked away from them, rolling his eyes slightly at the transportation wizards, and started back along the tracks, headed towards the back and the sight of the majority of the fighting the night before. The bodies of werewolves and several other wizards were still present, covered in conjured white sheets, as white robed wizards and witches moved among them, examining them for anything that might indicate their origins.

He stepped around a group of four that were carefully categorizing a naked, headless corpse, a former werewolf most likely and stopped next to a short wizard with salt and pepper hair and beard, in a bright red robe. "Supervising today, Wendell?" Harry asked quietly.

"You know that I was supposed to be on holiday with my wife in the Virgin Islands," Homes said tiredly, "Elie and I were there to see Sara off for her first year yesterday, we had a Portkey out-" he looked down at a silver pocket watch, "about four hours ago."

"Sorry."

Wendell shrugged, "Terry, start getting samples of the blood spatters back, perhaps we can do a potion trace on some of these...wankers." A blonde witch waving a odd, silver device over the nearest body nodded, handed it off to the wizard next to her, and walked over to a large trunk set on the ground and started digging for phials. Homes reached up and ran his hand through his hair. "This is bad, Harry...they never went after the train, not even when Voldemort..."

"Yeah."

"Harry," Homes looked at him out of the corner of his eyes, his voice tight, "Thanks...You and Hermione...your kids, I lost a son in the last war, in the Ministry...I'm so grateful that I didn't lose a granddaughter last night." Harry nodded slowly, not trusting his voice.

"Wendell..."

"It's alright, Harry." He looked back over the train, "Sara got sorted into Ravenclaw, I guess that Minerva sorted them last night," he snorted, "couldn't put them in their houses otherwise..."

"Yeah, the floor of the Great Hall, isn't the most comfortable," Harry replied, "What can you tell me, Wendell...I need to get back to Hogwarts, Hermione is there with Em..."

"Has anyone told Remus yet?"

"Yeah," Harry said, reaching up and scrubbing his hand through his hair violently, leaving his dark mop disheveled almost beyond belief. "I did this morning...he's not in fit shape to be out and about...probably not for the next couple of days...Tonks is at the school with Mione, but she'll go back tonight to be with Remus."

Homes nodded and started pacing towards the caboose, he waved at the tree line, "From spell residue, the trestle was dropped with fifteen Reductors from eight separate Wizards at about 7:30, give or take ten minutes. We found the bodies of sixteen weres, none of them known Death Eaters or associates, in fact most of them seemed to be foreign nationals..."

"Mercenaries?" Harry cut in, puzzled.

Homes shrugged, "Who knows, we've found no glyphs, a few had them, but they were removed, like that group that hit you in London..." Homes stopped and looked down, not wanting to meet Harry's eyes, "I've known you, personally, ever since you've started this job, Harry, but..."

"It seems as if someone has a grudge against us, and the rest got in the way," Harry supplied, darkly. "Yeah, it's possible, Merlin knows Bella hates us that much, but I can't imagine what it would have cost for these many were mercs." Harry shrugged, "Let me have the rest, I want to get out of here."

"About thirty Death Eaters or equivalents...we didn't get any residual Dark Mark trace," Homes said, his voice falling into a flat, lecturing tone, the same he would use if and when he testified on the night's events. "And probably the same number of weres, all wolf we think, were set up at least twenty minutes before they blew the bridge. Train stopped at about 7:51 pm, and the kids spread out to investigate. Looks like they got jumped about four, five minutes after that. So far we've found eight DE's that we can contribute to one of the kids, and another six or seven from you and Hermione. There are blood trails from another four, which vanished abruptly, with two more captured alive. One of those died, as you know. The other was useless."

Homes waved towards the train, "Found were blood, and bodies on top of the train, and in the car immediately following the ones where the kids were held up. One Were down inside the car from a Silver Ripper curse, one on top from a sword and another next to it."

He walked towards and empty spot, and several nude bodies, most missing parts, "Em took two here, both with her sword and Xander another with a Ripper. Xander took the curse at 8:16 pm, and Dumbledore arrived about a minute and a half later, after Emilia took out the Wizard that got Xander, and ended the fight on this side." He took a breath, "Is it true that Emilia and Xander are handfasted?" Harry nodded. "Give them my best, Harry...All of that is from the blood traces and magic remnants, it's all subjective for now until we get the results from the full work up."

"Fine, get the report to me," Harry said, his hands in his pockets and shrugging helplessly, "I'll be at Hogwarts or home." Harry vanished and the Auror and forensic teams, that had been watching him out of the corner of their eyes, returned fully to work at Wendell's glare.

There you go, I know it was a touch short, but I'm out of town right now...Next chapter, we'll see the fallout, in both hearts and body.

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12. Chapter 11 Broken

Here it is, the start of the fallout...Thanks as usual to Lady Starlight for her splendid work on this chapter. As usual I only own the plot, and the OCs.
Chapter 11: Broken
********************Hogwarts, Hospital Wing************************

September 2, 2015
9:20 pm

A quiet beeping accompanied the steady pulsing of a softly-glowing, hovering orb as it hovered over a blanket-covered shape in one of the beds. Brown hair fell lankly over a sleeping face, covering closed eyelids. A single, glowing Illumination Sphere, hovering near the vaulted ceiling, turned almost all the way down, provided the only illumination in the ward, casting shadows over several beds. A set of privacy curtains blocked off the occupied bed and an empty one next to it, along with a large, comfortable recliner in muted red and gold. A silent, presence sat in the chair, looking towards the bed, light from the orb glinting off his lenses.

He turned, not speaking as the curtains parted slightly, and a thin, pale shape, in red pajamas with small gold snitches flitting about, moved to the bed. Black curls hung limply around her face, almost hiding emerald eyes that caught the moonlight filtering in from the windows like a cat's...or maybe they were glowing from within. Dried tracks were faintly visible on her face as she knelt next to the bed on the stone floor, not even wincing, and grabbed one of the hands sticking out of the blankets with both of hers and dropped her head to them.

She rubbed her cheek on the back of the hand, before she looked up, her bottom lip in her teeth. Emilia let go with one hand, and reached up, sweeping brown locks off of his forehead, grimacing as she felt the dampness of his sweat, the fever that had taken him still not broken. "You need to wake up, baby," Emilia whispered, her voice hoarse, "please...Abby said she misses you...Harriet said that your robes had snargle bitters...I don't know either, but we de-snargled them..." She swallowed; pulling back tears that did her no good, right now. Across the bed, still unnoticed, the occupant of the chair pulled off his glasses and rubbed his nose.

"Please wake up, Xan..." Emilia pleaded again, "I'm sorry I left, I didn't want to but Rain and Harriet made me go eat...I didn't want to hurt them so I let them take me, but I'm not leaving here again, so you better get up, you don't want me to miss classes." Xander didn't move, and she dropped her head down and silent tears ghosted out, dampening the blankets. She turned her head, letting it rest on his stomach, "I'll do anything, Xan, just get up..." She smiled faintly, "I'll shag you right here in the infirmary...even my folks never did that..."

"Should I leave you two alone, then?" a faint, almost amused baritone whispered across the secluded corner.

"Dad!" Emilia exclaimed, coming upright and looking across to finally notice Harry sitting in the chair, "I didn't see you there."

"Obviously," he replied dryly. "Are you alright, Poppet?" he asked seriously. She looked up and held his eyes for a moment, before shaking her head quickly, a soft squeak escaping her lips. Harry held his arms out, and Emilia vanished, reappearing in his lap almost as if she had Apparated over. She grabbed fistfuls of his shirt and buried her face in them, sobbing softly. Harry swallowed heavily as he started to run his fingers along her hair, continually combing it, and muttering nonsense into her hair.

Emilia continued to cry quietly, for several more minutes, and Harry felt his heart break, "It's my fault, Daddy," she muttered, her voice cracking as she balled his shirt tighter in small hands. "He took that hit for me...he..."

"He loves you, Em," Harry replied quietly, "there wasn't a choice...not in his mind. Your mum, still, brings up me taking a Cruciatus for her that Tom cast. But I'd do it a thousand times, if it kept her from getting hit once. It's the same for him, Honey. He knew what he was doing."

"I need him, Daddy, I can't even breathe properly without him. Can you and Mummy help him...please..."

"I know, Em, I know...He's going to be alright, Emilia, Poppy's the best there is. She will have him up and about before you know it," Harry said, rocking his daughter in his arms like he had not done for years and years. She pulled her head out from his shirt, and looked across at Xander as he lay motionless. Xander took a deep, shuddering breath and she froze, shivering in Harry's arms until Xander started breathing normally again.

Harry kissed her forehead and gestured with his free hand. Xander's bed expanded by a third again, and Harry slowly stood, holding his daughter in his arms like she was eight. He gently laid her down next to Xander, and she looked up at him, tears still sparkling in her eyes, "Won't Madame Pomfrey get mad, Dad?"

"She'll deal, don't worry about it, Em, get some sleep, you'll both do better," Harry smiled and she returned it tremulously. She smiled again and rolled over, snuggling into Xander's side. Harry watched as Emilia's breathing slowed, unconsciously matching Xander's as she slipped off to sleep.

Harry watched them sleep, his eyes picking up a faint glow as the orb dimmed even further. He drew a square in the air and caught the book that appeared with a faint POP. He opened it and started to read, the Night Vision spell allowing him to audit black text on white parchment with ease.

Harry read an entire chapter on the transition of the Snitch from its original living form to the enchanted, mechanical ball of today as Emilia slept. He looked up as the curtains parted behind him, and Emilia stirred slightly and settled back down. He turned his head, vanishing the book and watched as Hermione stood next to the bed, running her fingers along Emilia's hair. Hermione bent down and kissed her daughter's cheek, and repeated the gesture with Xander, neither stirred.

She slipped back to Harry and sat down, pulling her legs up and snuggling up to him. Tonks said she and Remus will be here in the morning...He...wasn't terribly stable. Hermione looked up at him, eyes sparkling with her own unshed tears, I'm not too terribly stable, Harry.

I know, Hermione. I know...

Hermione nodded, It's good you put her in bed with him, should help them recover. He can siphon off power if he needs it, she'll take a touch of his pain if he has any, and she'll keep from going insane. She watched as Emilia stirred in her sleep, muttering something, before she stopped and settled back down, her lips against his throat. Hermione pulled her knees up to her chest, shivering, I don't know if I can do this, Harry, not again. It damn near killed me last time, and it was just us...now it's my babies too. Xander's mine too, Harry, just like Harriet, Abby...I'll not see any of them hurt. Tonks and I used to feed them together, Em and Xander slept in the same crib half the time with Tonks and I on leave together...

You are the strongest person I know, Hermione, Harry replied soothingly, wrapping his arms tighter around her, and rocking her gently, just like he had just done with Emilia. Of course we'll stay here, Hermione, he added, knowing what she wanted without speaking. She gave him a faint smile before closing her eyes and resting her head on his shoulder.

****************************Gryffindor Tower**************************

Rain moved silently, padding like a ghost across the rug-covered stone floors of the Common Room, a pair of steaming mugs in her hands. She sat on a tattered couch, which very well might have been there in Dumbledore's era, which had seen countless tragedies and triumphs in its time, and handed one of the mugs to Harriet. She took it without commenting, as she continued to stare across the room at a small girl, whose hair seemed to cycle through colors like an out of control Christmas Tree, as she sat rocking in place on one of the couches. "Are you ok, Harriet?"

Harriet continued to look at Abigail, watching as Elliot and Shin comforted the tiny girl, "It wasn't like this there," Harriet said without looking up. "People died or just disappeared...we never left the grounds of the school, but it wasn't like this. I never cared about the rest of them, not really, except for Mum and Dad and Gaheris." Her wolf looked up at her from his post on the rug in front of the fire, already burning even this early to fight off the chill of a rather cool night. He settled back down as she went on, quietly, and Rain's blue eyes watched as she picked at a hole in her jeans, though which the white of a bandage could be seen. "I'm scared, Rain...it used to never scare me, why does it now?"

"Cause you love them?" Rain replied, shrugging, "The stakes are higher...back there...let me guess from what you said, your folks were the heavy hitters, it was a touch of anarchy, but they could handle themselves against whatever came. You'll have to deal, hun...just like I do." Harriet gave her a look and she shrugged, "Mom and Dad were both very...pragmatic, I guess. I grew up, knowing that it could get messy, he always used to say that it wasn't over, unlike what all the books said, I didn't always believe him, or at least I thought I didn't but it was there in the back of my mind I suppose." Rain glanced up as she saw Sirius standing, politely just out of unassisted hearing range, she waved him over with a covert motion of two fingers, "I need to look over the reading for Dra...Black." Rain got up and left, tracking towards the stairs leading up to the Girls' Dorms.

"Are you...alright, Harriet?" Sirius asked, his words only a susurration as he slowly knelt in front of her. She looked up; meeting his eyes and shook her head quickly, tears sprinkling her eyes. She watched, not speaking as he moved next to her, holding his arms out and folding them around her as she crawled into his lap.

"I'm glad they didn't hurt you, Sirius," she mentioned after a moment, looking down at his arms, not quite trusting herself to look up into his face for some reason. "Your parents are here, down with Xander and Emilia, why aren't you there?"

"You needed me," he replied, almost as if he were surprised at the answer. He froze for an instant, listening to the words echo about in his head. He filed away the thoughts that unthinking answer led to and looked down at her, watching as she continued to look down at his arms, not catching the smile that crossed her lips, that she was unaware of herself. "You should get some sleep, you have class tomorrow, Harriet."

"I've already read the book, Sirius," she replied shrugging, she fell silent, and looked over as a clump of second years, all of them laughing at something, seemingly unaffected by the attack on the train only two days before, got up and left a set of study tables heading up the stairs to their rooms. Another few students slipped in, talking, and she burrowed into his robes, sighing quietly as she smelled the scent of grass and sky, still there after his late evening flight to clear his head. "Can you stay here with me...I don't want to go to bed," she asked softly.

"Of course."

September 3, 2015
6:30 am

Harriet blinked awake as a shaft of sunlight flitted in through a narrow, leaded-glass window in the round, common room. She looked around, feeling instantly cold for some reason as she found herself alone on the long, tattered couch. She tossed off a red and gold throw, flipping it back over the back of the couch, and sat up slowly, looking around the room. A tattered, brightly colored blanket covered someone on the couch opposite, only a fall of straight black hair poked out from under it at the top, and a single bare foot with a silver anklet at the other.

Harriet pushed up off the couch and looked down, "Do you know where, Sirius is?"

Rain muttered something about 'requirement', and Harriet frowned, before heading out the portrait hole, and off along the corridor. Harriet picked up speed as she reached the seventh floor hallway where she knew the Room of Requirement was from stories and her explorations of her 'own Hogwarts'. Her bare feet made soft slapping noises against the floor, she had not noticed that she was barefoot until she reached the wing housing the room, and had immediately dismissed the issue as inconsequential.

She slid to a stop at the head of a long, dim corridor and walked up the hall. She looked over to her left, finding that Barnabas was long gone, still hiding from his trolls no doubt, before she looked to her right, to find that the thick oak door, with its brass knocker, had already materialized. Her hand shook slightly for some reason as she reached for the doorknob.

With a quick breath, she opened the door and slipped in...only to drop flat as a shimmering yellow curse snapped over her head. She rolled to her side, reaching back as she snap-kicked to her feet and shook a dark cylinder inset with glowing runes in her hand.

Her staff telescoped from its traveling mode, and she ducked under the swing of a darkly cloaked attacker. Harriet spun to her right, and swept his legs out from under him. The other end whistled highly as it cut through the air, and cracked across the Death Eater's jaw. She looked around the room quickly to find it dark and filled with smoke.

Crumpled bits of stone and debris provided a barren, moonscape-like battlefield. She looked up as three Death Eaters appeared out of the gloom and lined up on her. Harriet dove over a pile of rock to her side, tucking and rolling as she hit, only to stop as she bumped into the side of another kneeling form. She looked up, already snapping a punch up, when she froze, Sirius' emerald orbs filling her entire field of vision.

Sirius gulped, looking down at her, and frantically waved his wand over his head.

Instantly the battlefield vanished, replaced for a bare instant by a pure white room, before a comfortable, miniature version of the Gryffindor Common Room appeared. Sirius rose to his feet, with a grace helped by training and adrenaline before reaching down and pulling her up with one hand, without so much as a grunt of effort.

"You're hurt," Harriet said, after a minute of silence.

Sirius shrugged, "What are you doing here? I thought you were still asleep." Harriet grabbed his hand and pulled him along to the couch, pushing him back into the cushions.

She collapsed her staff and dropped the resulting cylinder on the floor, before fumbling around, patting herself down to find that, though she had been wearing her staff in its holster, she had forgot her wand. She frowned and reached forward, plucking Sirius' wand from his fingers. She lightly ran it along a shallow cut on his cheek, effortlessly vanishing it without a scar. She let the wand drop to the seat of the couch next to him and thumbed away the remaining smear of blood. "I can only sleep so long at a time...The House Elves might decide to feed me to the Thestrals." She rose from the crouch she had been in, in front of him to sit on the couch, a half cushion away.

Sirius glanced down, seeing her bare feet, but did not comment. He leaned forward, and plucked her collapsed staff from the floor and handed it to her, before he vanished his own wand. "You need to make sure you're armed at all times, Harriet. I don't want you to get ambushed."

"I won't forget again," she promised quietly, the words meaning a great deal for some reason.

"I'm not mad, Harriet," Sirius said quickly.

"I know."

Sirius watched her out of the corner of his eye for a moment, watching as she looked straight ahead fixedly. He stood. "I need to get a shower, and you probably need to get one too..." Harriet turned at his words, a faint flush lighting the tips of her ears. "I...m...mean that I should get one, and you need to get ready for class...separately."

Harriet nodded and stood. "Yes, I should get ready for class," she said softly. She walked to the door without another word, and stopped, looking back at him, "Are you going to go back to the tower as well?" Sirius nodded, before striding to the door and opening it for her, letting her pass, before following and closing it behind him, where it vanished from view.

The pair of them were silent as they headed off, down the seventh-floor corridor towards Gryffindor Tower.

********************Hospital Wing***********************

Hermione yawned, and stirred against Harry in the large armchair they shared. She moved on his lap, having fallen asleep, uncomfortably yes, but safely, about two. She smiled faintly as he automatically tightened his arms around her, holding her to him. With a tiny shake of her head, she took a breath and vanished, reappearing standing next to the chair.

She leaned down, kissing him, before pacing over to the bed they had sat vigil over and knelt next to it, "Oh, Honey," Hermione whispered as she ran her fingers lightly along Emilia's hair, so similar to her own, that except for the color, one could have switched it between them and none would be the wiser. "I wish I could make it all better for you, I never wanted you to have to live a life like this-having to fight-to, kill..." She leaned forward and kissed Emilia's forehead, and stood, leaning over her daughter to kiss Xander's cheek, "Wake up, Xander...she needs you."

Hermione grabbed a tattered Gryffindor sweatshirt from a table near the chair Harry still occupied, and pulled it on over her head as she stepped out of the main infirmary, passing the entrance to Poppy's office and heading out into the castle. She walked along the corridor, noticing the sound of her footfalls, loud in her exhaustion, absently counting her steps...a habit she had left behind years ago, even before she went to Hogwarts that first time and met a green-eyed boy on a train.

Distantly, she heard the sound of several students running along the corridor, headed no doubt for the Great Hall and the belated first day of classes. Her stomach growled suddenly, and she frowned and headed that way herself, with vague thoughts of securing breakfast, as the thought came to the fore, she belatedly realized she had not ate in a day, not the most brilliant idea with her enhanced metabolism.

She walked along the corridors, not looking where she was going and not needing to. She, after all, knew the castle almost as well as anyone ever had. Several students in Ravenclaw colors pointed at her as she stepped out into the second floor landing and walked down the grand stairs. A thick, unsettled feeling came over her, like it did every time she came here, walking into the entrance hall.

Hermione paused, kneeling in front of the golden phoenix statue that dominated the atrium. A scattering of offerings and mementos sat on the ground next to the black marble slab that formed the base, with bronze plaques set on each side, filled with names of those lost to the war. She reached forward and ran her fingers along 'Ronald and Luna Weasley'.

"I stop here every time as well," a soft voice mentioned from above and behind her, older and softer than the children streaming past, most of them ignoring the odd adults in their midst, or more accurately not noticing who was taking up space as Hermione's hair, often a curtain to her face, and occasionally her thoughts was hiding her features from the passerby, and the newcomer never was as famous as her or Harry.

Parvati knelt next to her; still in the lemon yellow scrubs she typically wore under her Healers' robes, limp from a night at St. Mungo's. She glanced at Hermione, before bending forward and softly kissing the plaque, right over an inscription reading, "Lavender Brown". She sat back on her heels and reached into a thigh pocket, removing and placing a small, stuffed rabbit under Lavender's name. Parvati's fingers lingered on the rabbit for a long minute, before she looked over at Hermione. "It still hurts, you know."

"I know," Hermione replied, looking over at her former roommate. Parvati nodded absently and rocked to her feet in one movement, moving over to sit on one of the stone benches lining the atrium. She stared at the golden bird unseeingly, as Hermione dropped next to her. Pavarti looked down at her hands, twisting a ring on her left ring finger, twin to another that could be seen hanging on her neck on a thin gold chain. "Are you alright, Parvati...do you want me to go get Neville?" Hermione asked softly.

Parvati shook her head and sighed quietly, "Lavender and I had a plan, you know, Hermione..." she snorted to herself, "alright, it changed a tad when we brought Neville in..."

"Parvati...he..."

"We were each going to have two sprogs, a boy and a girl," Parvati went on as if Hermione had not spoken, "I was going to be a healer, do my years of mandated work in St. Mungo's and open a practice in Hogsmeade, and Lavender," Parvati chuckled softly, "she wanted to be a reporter. Neville...McGonagall had already offered him the job here, at least taking over the younger classes, Sprout was already going to retire, though she was originally going to take a few more years to do it." Parvati took a breath, sniffling slightly, "I loved...love her, Hermione...it wasn't just some adolescent 'experimental' thing...though I suppose it started like that," she looked over at Hermione, a suddenly inquiring look in her eye, "not like it would have been say if you and Luna had 'experimented'."

Hermione took a breath, "I never thought you didn't love her, Par, none of us that knew you two...three, thought that, not after we watched you three for a bit."

"My dad did...he already wasn't the most...pleased with Pad and I making our stand with Harry, and then, when I wrote them that I was in love with not only a boy...but a Muggle-born witch as well..." Parvati sighed and stood from the bench, "All of that is moot, now, my sister and I don't talk to him and he doesn't talk to us, either, except for what family events we are at."

"I'm sorry, Parvati," Hermione replied quietly.

Parvati shrugged and started towards the Great Hall, moving with the increasing throngs of students as they passed through the huge, oak doors. Both Hermione and Parvati started automatically towards the Gryffindor table and stopped, laughing softly at themselves. Hermione turned and looked back towards the doors as she felt Rain slip in, looking tired, but dressed in her uniform for the first day of classes. Her brother was standing next to her, yawning as he said something to her between breaths. She nodded and he headed off, moving to the other side of the Gryffindor table and dropping next to a pair of Abigail's roommates.

Parvati and Hermione sat down at the far end of the Gryffindor Table, empty except for a seventh year girl, already nose deep into a thick tome on industrial charms. "How's Xander?"

Hermione shrugged, and unconsciously glanced up in the direction where she could still feel Harry, "He's still out, he got hit at the height of the full moon; Poppy seems to think he will be, alright, if she can get the fever to break." Hermione looked down and grabbed a muffin from a tray, ripping it in half, "Em's with him, she's crushed right now."

"And Abby?" Parvati asked. As if called, the tiny girl slipped into the room, walking along with Elliot, Justin and Virginia and a brown-haired girl that Hermione only vaguely recognized as Virginia's roommate. Abigail's normally vibrant to blinding hair was lank and black, falling halfway down her back in a messy tail. She looked as if she had dressed in the dark, her tie was on crookedly and blouse was unbuttoned, unintentionally, at several random buttons. "Oh...I see," Parvati finished, she looked back to Hermione, "When are Tonks and Remus getting here?"

"Any time now," Hermione replied, "Any time now." She glanced up as Neville appeared with a stack of parchments. He paused, kissing Parvati on the top of the head to the accompaniment of soft "ahhs" from several younger members of the fairer gender. She looked up and gave him a small smile. He bent down and kissed her again, before moving on, to complete giving out the schedules to his house.

Parvati stood, "I'm going to talk to Poppy about it...I've been looking into side effects of Wolfsbane...maybe some of that work will help." Hermione nodded and watched as Parvati gave her a small shrug and headed off towards the doors and the Hospital wing, nibbling on a muffin as she went.

*************************Charms #1*******************************

8:01 am

Filius Flitwick walked slowly into the full Charms Classroom, the click of the short cane in his left hand a soft counterpoint to his steps. He looked out over the classroom and mounted a short set of steps that lead to the top of his desk where he looked out over his NEWT Charms class. He had never, fully, recovered from his capture and torture by Death Eaters at the final battle seventeen years ago, causing him to walk with a cane even now. Even Madame Pomfrey had never been able to repair the nerve damage sustained that night, but he had returned to school.

He nodded to himself, finding Emilia Potter in the front row, surrounded by, on her left-as she had been almost every class for the last six years-by her best friend, Rain Kincaid. A single eyebrow crooked slightly as he looked over the girl on her right, a spot that for the last two years had been occupied, except for a few notable...disagreements, by Xander Lupin. He watched as Harriet impatiently pushed red hair out of her eyes, sweeping it behind her ears, brushing her wand.

Flitwick almost snorted, but held it in, as he saw Harriet pull her wand from behind her ear impatiently and set it on the table before her, and if he was not mistaken, started to talk to it in a serious, low tone. Next to her, Emilia was fidgeting, and occasionally, looking daggers at the two girls. Both of Flitwick's eyebrows shot upwards as Emilia, possibly the best student he had had in Charms since her mother, started to stand and was pulled back into her seat by both girls.

Filius took a sharp breath and his fingers brushed the hilt of his wand in his pocket, as he felt a pulse of magic snap out from Emilia. He relaxed as he watched Rain lean over and whisper something sharp in Emilia's ear. Emilia sat back and crossed her arms, but seemed to relax as Flitwick cleared his throat. "Good morning class," he squeaked in his high-pitched voice, familiar to generations of Hogwarts students. "Welcome to NEWT-level Charms...As most of you know, at least those of you actually paying attention to your Head of House when you discussed your futures at Hogwarts last year, this class is a two-year course, and depending on your end of year marks, you may or may not be invited to continue on this course of study." He smiled and waved at the board with his wand, instantly words began to write themselves on it, though not always in a letter-by-letter fashion.

"In this class, for the next two years we will explore..."

Emilia tuned out the diminutive professor, as she looked down at a empty sheet of parchment, which by now would normally be already half-filled with Flitwick's words, thought trees developing concepts from those words and tentative study schedules for herself, Xander, Rain and these days, probably Harriet as well. She picked up her quill, a pure white one that Hedwig had donated to her when she had started school, and watched, as it seemed to twirl by itself in her hand.

She sighed softly, seemingly fascinated with the grain of her textbook, and the first page of the first chapter, though she had read it when she was studying for her OWLs, in third year, just in case. Her eyes slipped half-closed, as she watched a bit of speckled sunlight crawl across the sheet, slicing in from the ancient windows of the classroom. She set her quill down on the tabletop, and slowly ran her fingers along the grain of her parchment, feeling its texture.

Emilia bit her lip, the sharp taste of blood oddly comforting, as it reminded her of being pricked with Xander's fangs. "Miss Potter?" Flitwick's high-pitched voice asked, unheeded as she looked at her nails, I wonder if Xander would like my nail polish? She mused as she looked at her nails, which had not been retouched at all since the night before the train, when she had let Xander read to her, while she painted them.

Rain glanced over Emilia at Harriet worriedly, and the redhead, looked...concerned. Flitwick cleared his throat, "Miss Potter," he said more firmly, and Rain jabbed her hard in the ribs, causing Em to look up at Flitwick, "I asked, since I am sure that you have read the chapter, what is the fundamental basis for the Protean series of charms?"

Emilia looked at him for a long minute and shrugged. Flitwick looked shocked and glanced at Rain, who gave a tiny shrug of her own. Flitwick opened his mouth to say something, just what he was not yet cognizant of, not being used to his from her, when Emilia gasped as a sharp pain ripped through her chest and she gasped, loudly. Emerald eyes took on a faint glow, pulsing slightly with the beat of her heartbeat and Rain leaned forward, both shielding her from the rest of the class behind her and to see into her face. "Xander," she whispered unsteadily, as she shot to her feet suddenly, and before anyone could move pushed past Harriet and ran out the open door into the hall.

"Professor..." Rain said, looking up at him as Emilia's footsteps could be heard receding in the distance down the hallway, and the rest of the class started murmuring heatedly.

"Go," Flitwick replied, "Take Miss Weasley with you, I will discuss your assignments later. And tell Miss Potter that I will have words with her Head of House over this incident." He made a quick shooing motion and Rain swept Emilia's class supplies, those that she had bothered to get out, into a for her uncharacteristically light bag, grabbed her own and ran out of the classroom after Emilia with Harriet on her heels though following at a more sedate pace.

******************************Ministry of Magic***************************

8:11 am

Hermione Potter appeared silently out of the ether in the seventh floor Atrium of the Ministry of Magic and headed forward, walking towards the golden lifts clanging up and down at the back of the room. Instantly she cursed her preoccupation as she looked up, towards the boarding area in front of the lifts to find a veritable sea of reporters, all of them already salivating at her approach and yelling questions. Had she really been thinking, when she left her future son-in-law's bedside a moment ago, she would have Apparated directly into the MLE headquarters instead of thinking of the Ministry in general, and the general arrival zone near the fountain.

She bit her lip and sighed, straightening her shoulders and walking forward, now that they had actually seen her, she would be dammed if she would Apparate up the several floors to her office, it would have been seen as running. "POTTER, IS IT TRUE THAT WEREWOLVES WERE INVOLVED IN THE TRAIN ATTACK?" Another shouted, "IS CHIEF AUROR LUPIN UNDER INVESTIGATION?" Hermione greeted that one with a glare that caused the reporter, a tall, thin man with only a ring of brown hair around his otherwise gleaming palate to jump back, gulping.

She ignored the rest, mostly variations on the Train attack, or various accusations of incompetence on the part of the MLE or on Hogwarts or the Ministry in general, and stepped through the crowd, the vast majority of the reporters having at the least the common sense God gave a headless chicken and stepping out of her way. All except one...

"IS IT TRUE, HERMIONE," A hated voice from the past growled, "THAT YOUR DAUGHTER IS ENGAGED TO CHIEF LUPIN'S SON AND YOU ARE COVERING UP HIS INCOMPETANCE BECAUSE OF IT?" Hermione ignored the question and kept walking. "IS HARRIET YOUR HUSBAND AND MRS. BLACK'S LOVECHILD?" Hermione snarled under her breath just as she reached the cage and spun on her heel to face the tight golden curls, now going grey, and beady eyes of her periodic tormentor since she was fifteen.

"IS IT ALSO TRUE," Rita Skeeter went on with a smug grin as a Quick Quotes Quill scribbled constantly on a pad of parchment hovering near her ear. A flashbulb snapped out, recording the dark, glittering look in Hermione's eyes as Rita continued, her voice normal as she slipped into conversation distance with Hermione, "That the reason your sixteen-year-old daughter is engaged at such an early age, is because she is..."

"Rita," Hermione's quiet, flat voice cut across her words like a red-hot knife, "another word, another slander, and I will challenge you here and now..." Rita froze in mid-word and Hermione spun back around and stepped onto the lift, and closed the grate. Questions continued to be screamed at her as she rose out of sight, and camera bulbs continued to flash.

She sighed and fell back against the wall of the lift, flicking her wand at the lift controls to prevent anyone else from calling it, and rode it upwards. She watched as it clattered and shook, the floors passing in front of the car slowly as a squadron of paper airplanes circled above her, trapped on the lift when she locked it out. Hermione checked her watch as the lift finally jerked to a stop and the door slid open, before stepping out onto the second floor and heading quickly down the corridor. She passed through the open cubicle area, nodding to a few officers and agents working at paperwork or talking to their colleagues.

She shook her head at an offer of coffee and pushed through a closed door set to the side of the open room, past a pair of Aurors standing guard, and into a small conference room. Harry glanced up, and she frowned faintly at the sight of the dark rings under his eyes, and her heart broke a touch more at seeing the dark look Lupin was giving the tabletop. Tonks was still at Hogwarts, where she had been since this morning. Hermione looked briefly around at the others in the conference room, Arthur, Wendell, Teresa Chase, Head of Interspecies Intelligence and Konrad Flink, a civilian, contracted "Expert" on Weres. A long exasperated sigh slipped along her thoughts at the thought of his "advice", though no trace of it ever touched her face.

She slipped to Lupin at the head of the table, and bent down next to him, shared a quick word and kissed his cheek. Flink gave her an unheeded glare as she slipped down to the other end of the oval table and sat down, rolling her chair until it was pushed against Harry's. Her hand darted over to tap his knee under the table and she felt his attention slip to her, not that some part was not always focused on her, Rita knows too much, Harry...she knew about Em and Xander. Hermione shrugged invisibly at the touch of shock that crossed Harry's thoughts, as he flicked through her memories of a few minutes ago.

We'll deal with that later...she could just be guessing...its not like they can know for sure, Harry replied, his hand slipping down to grab hers for an instant. He squeezed it, and she followed the invisible pointer in his head as he motioned towards Remus who was straightening and taking a sip of coffee from the mug at his elbow. Remus looked over at the Minister of Magic, who nodded and motioned towards Lupin.

Remus took a breath and looked across at Harry, setting aside his worries for his son, in favor of doing his duty, for now anyway. For a brief moment, he let himself wonder if this would have happened if Mad-Eye or Kingley had survived to become Chief Auror instead of him. He shook off the thought; he had had enough self-recriminations for one lifetime, and cleared his throat, though the sound sounded more like a low growl than anything. "Let's get this over with, there are things I am sure that we all need to be about to." He looked over at his grizzled Forensic Chief, who had started on the streets of London with Mad-Eye, having attended the academy with him, and then after a long and winding career, ended up in his current role. "Wendell, any update from the Express attack?"

"Not really," he replied, "the weres there were all sanitized, and all of the Death Eater wannabe's were known to us, mostly low-level hoodlums that have come to the attention of the MLE or local forces for various infractions, theft, assault...a couple were suspected for the attacks on the Stonehenge campus last year, but had vanished before anyone could find them." He picked up his wand from the table next to a battered coffee mug decorated with a pair of crossed wands set over an owl, and flicked it at the center of the table. Floating images of pale, blank faces, the images taken in the Ministry Morgue this morning, hovered above the center of the table. Small white gothic lettering spelled out the name of each. Flink looked sick, as Hermione looked over at Homes.

"None of these guys is known to be one of the ones that we weren't able to get enough on to convict after the war, right Wendell?" Hermione confirmed and he nodded.

"I wish I could give you one of them, lass, but no, sorry..."

Flink looked at each of them, then at Arthur, "I do not understand why you insist on grouping weres with those villains...It is that kind of prejudice that fosters the sense of alienation that provides for these...misunderstandings." He straightened a rather expensive-looking pair of robes, his outfit in stark contrast to Hermione, who had only stopped to toss on a clean pair of slightly worn jeans and a Weird Sisters concert T-shirt on under a dragonhide jacket from her jump bag before coming over from Hogwarts. Harry was only a touch more presentable, a dark shirt over khaki cargos, again from their emergency bag.

"Frankly, Flink," Harry interjected, "I don't care if they have large wedges of green cheese for heads...I know what happened so shut up or leave." The "consultant's" mouth flopped open like a fish out of water and Harry ignored him, looking instead to Chase, "Teresa; any word from your group?"

She shrugged, shuffling through a large pile of papers, all stamped quite obviously with the blood-red confidential stamp, "Not really, Harry, there were a few rumors that several werewolves and possibly some vamps were looking for a touch of extra...excitement, perhaps this and the group last month are part of that."

Arthur Weasley looked around the room and sighed mightily, "Ladies and gentleman, frankly we do not have time for this. There is a petition, right now, in the Wizengamot for a vote of no confidence in my government. While I have it on good authority that this attempt will not get out of committee, there will be others, and we can not afford to have division at this time. We need to get to the bottom of this action, of this and the attack at Diagon Alley, I can not believe that the two are not related intimately. I will not, if I can help it, have History repeat itself on my watch, understood?"

There you go, next chapter, a bit of fluff with your angst.

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13. Growing Pains

A/N: Here we go, some fluff to relieve the angst. Thanks as usual to Lady Starlight for her work on this chapter. As usual, I own somethings, but not everything. It's confusing really.

Chapter 12: Growing Pains
**********************Hogwarts**********************************
September 3, 2015
8:20 am

Rain and Harriet were starting to breathe hard, having just sprinted half of the breadth of the castle from the Charms classroom to the Hospital Wing. They pulled up short as they almost crashed into a third-year coming out of the Infirmary door, and froze as they took in the scene in the room.

Tonks was standing back against the wall, hugging herself tightly, as she watched the bed. Emilia was wrapped around Xander, who was shivering slightly, his eyes still closed. Her outer robe was tossed carelessly to the floor, and she had slipped under the covers with him. A small hand had come up from under the blankets to cradle his cheek, as she rested her head under his chin. Rain started forward, only to be stopped as Tonks grabbed her shoulder and shook her head.

Parvati slipped from a side room, carrying with her a waft of simmering potions and came to stand next to Tonks. She half flopped back against the wall, and peered down at the pair in the bed. Small, wire-framed glasses framed tired, dark eyes; the need for them having appeared in the last seventeen years of reading charts in the often uncertain light of St. Mungo's and traditional patients' homes. Like most of her generation, she had nice, bright electric lights at home...even if they were occasionally unreliable. She reached up and pulled her ponytail over her shoulder and started to run her fingers through it.

"How is he, Par?" Tonks asked, looking over at the other woman. Poppy Pomfrey took care of the kids during the school year, but it was Parvati, who had by default become their healer during the summer months. Ever since her graduation from the Healer's program a year early, performing the five years of study and internship in only four, she had been pulled in every time one of the kids...or the adults that matter, in the rather insular group that had survived the war, had managed to injure themselves or come down with something serious. Parvati looked over at the bed as Em looked up, hearing Tonks' question and then at Rain and Harriet.

She sighed softly, knowing that it was easier in the end just to tell them all at once. She walked over to sit on the empty bed next to Xander. "You know, that none of you people are normal, right?" Parvati asked almost forlornly. "Most healers get cases, where the kid gets the parent's wand and maybe adds an extra leg, or gets boils in odd places, or they get into the Potions cabinet and give themselves ears and a tail..." She shook her head wryly, and reached into the wand pocket of her scrubs, set on the side of one thigh and flicked her wand around the room, casting a Muffliato Charm.

"I gave Xander a modified version of the Wolfsbane potion...it's primary purpose, of course, is to, for lack of a better term, allow less evolved Weres to control their impulses during the moon, but it also has a secondary effect of dampening certain hormones that are released during the full moon cycle. Ones that even the more evolved that have control over their transformations are still affected by...neurotransmitters that urge them to fight, up their territorial instinct, and urge them to...mate," she added a touch more softly.

Rain had the grace to look embarrassed, though Tonks only nodded, and Harriet did not seem to even notice as she sat next to Parvati, kicked off her Mary Janes and crossed her legs. Parvati looked over at her, and muttered something under her breath. "Em, Honey...look at me, please." Emilia looked up slowly, rolling over until she could see Parvati. "I talked to your mum before she left for the Ministry, Em..." she glanced over at Tonks, she nodded and closed her eyes. "I'm not going to sugar coat it...There have been about ten recorded, studied, instances of the curse that was used on Xander, it was a specialty of Antonin Dolohov's, until your Mum put a Piercing Charm through his brain..."

Emilia sat up, and wiped at her eyes, they were red and dried tracks ran down her cheeks. She swallowed a couple of times, "That was what Mum was hit with, wasn't it?"

Parvati nodded, "Your mum's case is one of the ones that Auror-cleared healers, the ones of us that work with the service, study. The curse is a variant of the Sectumsempra, but one that causes nerve-damage in addition to the typical severing damage, and usually explodes the heart, by causing adrenaline and other hormones to crash into overdrive, driving it faster and faster until it can't take it." Parvati shrugged, "Hermione was saved cause her magic saved her frankly...shut down her body...forced her into a catatonic state until Poppy could get to her. It also helped that he didn't verbalize it."

"So what happened to the rest of them?" Emilia asked, even though she really did not want to know. She looked over at Rain, as Tonks sighed and walked to the window, her arms pulling tight the bright orange jumper she was wearing.

"They all died, Em, your mum was the only one to survive a direct hit with that curse." She paused, looking down at Xander, "Xander would be the second, I hope..." Parvati took a few steps forward, and next to Emilia, "There haven't been any recorded cases of weres attacked with this curse though, and definitely none of wolflings...I am almost certain that his regenerative powers, though not as extensive as a transformed werewolf, will let him recover," Parvati reached up and patted Emilia's knee.

Emilia swallowed, and turned back to Xander, she ran her fingers along his cheek, "I trust you, Aunt Parvati..." Parvati smiled softly at the nickname, "you've been taking care of our scraped knees since we were two or three..."

Parvati stood, and stretched, "Xander is resting, we should know by this evening, Em, I am going to go get some sleep, since I got called into St. Mungo's last night for that broom pile-up in Leeds." She bent and kissed Em on top of her hair, and Emilia nodded without looking up. Parvati patted Tonks on the shoulder and left after muttering something to the Auror that just received a silent nod.

Tonks stepped over to the bed, "Rain, Harriet, head on back to class, I'll stay here," her tone did not provide leeway for the girls to argue, even though Rain started to try, only to stop at a small headshake from Harriet. Both of them left slowly, dragging their feet, but leaving as Tonks gave them a sharp look again. Tonks sat down on the edge of Xander's bed and reached out, grabbing Em's hand. "Come here...daughter," Em looked up at her, tears threatening to fall and she half crawled into Tonks' lap.

"So," Tonks said after a moment, holding Em to her and rocking her back and forth slowly, "How would you like to get a touch of blackmail material on your parents?"

Despite herself, Emilia snorted quietly and sat up, rubbing at her eyes, "Like what?"

"Well, there was that time where they snuck into the Headmistress' Office..."

************************Diagon Alley*********************************

12:15pm

"The girl just doesn't know what she wants really," Molly Weasley said, waving her hands wildly as she looked across the table to a grey-haired witch. "You heard what happened, Vanessa," Molly went on to Vanessa Carleton, an old friend of hers from her school days, and the latest recipient of a rapidly-tiring tirade. "She was hurt in that attack...you just know that it was on the Potters' children, some attempt to get back at Harry and Hermione, the poor dears. I know that they can't help it...but I will not have my granddaughter get hurt because of it."

"What will you do, Molly?" Vanessa said, leaning across the table in the Leaky Cauldron. Molly and her had run into each other in the Wizarding shopping district, and Molly had immediately convinced her to have lunch.

Molly looked to each side, "I am going to apply for custody of Harriet...I'm not going to tell Arthur, he is better off not knowing...but the Potters home is just not a proper environment for a underage girl, look at how they have raised their own children...They are always gone, Hermione is working...they have let Xander Lupin stay there overnight, when they aren't there...Who knows the things that they could get up to?"

"I thought that the Prophet said they were engaged," Carleton interjected, with the air of one used to a good gossip.

"They let their children do as they please...what kind of an example is that for Harriet?" Molly went on, slowly gathering a head of steam as a soft buzzing sound came from under the empty table one over and neither noticed. "Harry used to be such a respectful child before Hermione brought out this streak, polluting him with these outlandish Muggle ideas...she is just not a proper witch in the slightest, not like my Ginevra. She stayed home to raise her boys."

Vanessa nodded, then shrugged slightly, "That is the way of things these days, I am afraid...I have no idea what they teach them at Hogwarts these days. They come out of there, and are so ready to ignore the traditions that have sustained us for millennia...In my day, I would have never seen a woman as an Auror."

Molly nodded, absently; as if she was not sure she agreed but appeared to anyway. "Anyway, that is as it is, Harriet will be staying at the Burrow come Christmas." The soft buzzing faded away, unnoticed, as Tom brought over their orders and the two witches dug in.

***************************Hogwarts*****************************

11:00 pm

Emilia Potter sat quietly with her back to the headboard of the infirmary bed that Xander was in. Someone had expanded it, combining it with the one next to it to make one as large as hers at home, and giving her ample room to lie with him. Not that she really needed it, as her mother had said to her father years and years ago, all they really needed was a rather nice twin. A large, normally engrossing book on the Magical Creatures of Southwest Asia sat neglected across her blanket-covered lap, which was pulled up to just under Xander's chin.

She looked down at her left hand, which was slowly running through his hair, lightly combing patterns in his hair, and brought it up. She frowned slightly as she examined her fingers, and then looked over to her right hand, and stared at the diamond and emerald ring there, on her third finger, as it caught the light from the oil lamp set on the bedside table.

She took a breath as she ran her thumb over the gold band, and tilted it back and forth for a minute, watching the light dancing in the faceted stones. She closed her eyes, as she pulled the ring from her hand, with a slight effort as she overcame the anti-loss charms and held it up in front of her face. She looked down at Xander's sleeping face, and then slowly slid the ring back on, onto the third finger of her left hand. The ring flashed once as the Sizing Charm triggered, adjusting minutely to her left hand, and her eyes flared to life, emerald fire lighting them from within.

Emilia picked up the book and tossed it on the bed one over before slipping down next to him. She crawled on top of him, and kissed him slowly, before settling back down with her head on his shoulder. "Three years, Xander, three years," she whispered and closed her eyes, reaching down under the blankets to unerringly find his hand.

**************************Hogwarts****************************

September 26, 2012 (Wednesday, Three years prior)
3:00 pm

Emilia looked towards Rain and laughed as the dark-haired girl examined her hair, and frowned. Rain looked back up at her, "It looked good in the pictures," she complained as she fingered long, bright red highlights in her raven-colored hair. The thirteen-year-old witch sighed quietly as she looked up to see Andrew Weasley passing by. Emilia rolled her eyes as her friend's blue eyes went glassy.

"Andrew," Emilia shouted, "STOP IT!" The part-veela looked to them suddenly and then at Rain's face and visibly took a breath. He gave them a quick, sheepish look and hurried on his way. Rain staggered, missing a step, as her eyes cleared. Emilia turned to her, catching her, and looked up as a hand reached out and grabbed Rain from the other side. She looked up and found a pair of dark brown eyes looking back to hers. "Thanks, Xander," she said quietly.

He smiled, and she felt her hand on Rain's arm tremble slightly. She dropped his gaze and looked past him to find Elliot Longbottom and Nathan Black, along with Robert Weasley, standing at the hallway back to Transfiguration, from which the girls had just come. "What happened?" he asked as they set the normally sure-footed girl on her feet. Rain looked between them and took a few steps backwards, pretending to check her pack for some suddenly vital piece of school equipment. Neither of them noticed.

"Andrew was doing his thing again," Emilia said exasperatedly. She looked over at Robert, "Bob, you tell Andrew that if I catch him doing his snog-me-now thing on friends or family again, I'm telling his mum...or maybe Aunt Molly." Robert nodded quickly, and looked around fearfully as if Fleur or worse yet, Molly was about to step out from behind the corner at any moment.

Emilia turned and looked back at Xander to find him still looking at her, "What, Xander," she asked quietly, "do I have something on my face?"

"Huh...No," he recovered quickly shaking his head and glancing back towards his friends who were all looking in various random directions. His eyes widened slightly as a herd of second years sprinted past and he grabbed her, pulling them both out of the way of the stampede and to a protected spot out of the way of traffic. He took a breath as Emilia looked at him oddly, "Um...Emilia...I was wondering..."

"Yes," Emilia replied, looking up at him, as she pulled her mass of inky hair back into a tail, and tied it back with a band from her pocket. Xander just stared at her dumbly, and she sighed, "What Xander? We have practice to get to in a bit."

"Willyougotohogsmeadewithme," he spurted and a single, inky eyebrow crooked up slowly, and he took a deep breath. He closed his eyes, breaking the contact with the deep green pools that he suddenly found took up his entire field of vision, he opened them and looked at her again. "Will you...g...go to Hogsmeade with me, this weekend?" he asked softly, but she understood.

Her already large eyes widened, becoming almost like Dobby's. "I...I'd l...love to," Emilia replied equally as quietly as her stomach flipped and tossed about in her stomach like a mad acrobat.

"Alright," Xander said.

"Alright," Emilia said as well. A huge smile bloomed on his face, and he took a step back. "Meet in the Common Room?" Emilia asked and he nodded. She watched, not moving from her spot as Xander walked backwards for a couple of steps, tripping over his own feet once in a display reminiscent of his mother and reached his friends. He said something to them and they headed off, Xander glancing back once just as they rounded the corner to pass out of sight.

*****************************Hogwarts*********************************

September 3, 2015 (Present)
11:10 am

"I would go anywhere for you, Xander," Emilia whispered against his neck. She squirmed until she was almost totally on top of him, feeling throughout her body the slow, steady rise and fall of his chest as it lifted and lowered her line of sight. She let her fingers trail along the ball of his shoulder, "I really, really need you to wake up soon, Xander...I'm sorta randy...you can watch me if you want..." She closed her eyes for an instant, and sighed, before opening them again, "I am beginning to run out of ideas, Xander."

She dropped her head and tucked it under his chin, reaching down intertwining her hand with one of his, carefully avoiding pulling out the potion drip in the back of his hand. The soft beep of a monitoring orb filled the silence as she lay on his chest, eyes open and staring towards the door. Emilia looked up as Poppy Pomfrey slipped in, and looked at them. She shook her head slightly, and checked the potion drip before she gave Emilia a silent nod and left, heading back to her quarters.

"I think we broke her, Xander," Emilia whispered, snuggling down a touch more.

Yeah, a soft, croaked voice filled her thoughts, and she felt her heart skip a beat or maybe ten, before she lifted her body slowly on suddenly-shaking arms, to find his eyes open and looking unerringly into hers. He watched as her eyes slowly filled with tears and she dropped her head to his shoulder, sobbing quietly. Don't cry, Em, I'm fine...

You damn prat...I though I'd lost you...I was..g...getting ready to follow, Emilia sobbed silently, and shuddered slightly as his free hand came up slowly to cup the back of her head. She swallowed and pulled back, sitting up and looking down at him. Don't you ever do that again, Xander James Lupin, her eyes cut to the side as a flicker of black fur slipped in the door and hopped up on the bed next to them. Hipper gave them both a seemingly exasperated look, as he started cleaning his fur.

Emilia turned back to Xander as he started to stroke her hip; she fought the shudder that slipped up her nerves at his touch, even with the utter exhaustion she knew he still felt. I'd do it again, Em, he replied, and her glare intensified.

That's it...no sex for you for a month, Emilia snapped and laid back down on his chest.

What about what you promised, Xander smirked slightly.

Heard that, did you? she muttered, but refused to sit up and meet his eyes. His hand reached down, pushing up the fabric of her t-shirt at the small of her back and started to run his fingers in small circles. She let out a soft groan as the tips of his fingers slipped under the waistband of her sleep pants, and she kissed his shoulder. Xander...she laughed silently, if you can...

Maybe later, he replied and she laughed out loud once.

Should I get Poppy? she asked in a worried tone as he coughed once.

No, I'm fine as long as you'll be here when I wake up. He turned his head trying to find her face in the darkness as a sudden suspicion flitted across his thoughts, You aren't going to miss any class tomorrow, are you?

It's Friday, just DADA...I think we can skip that one for this week, don't you? She lifted herself enough to kiss his lips chastely, Don't worry, Xan, you have all weekend to get better, you won't even miss a Hogsmeade weekend.

Damn...and I really wanted a butterbeer...he whispered as he trailed back off to sleep.

September 29, 2012 (Saturday, 3 years prior)
9:10 am

Xander Lupin paced nervously back and forth along the threadbare Persian rugs of the Gryffindor Common Room. He looked up quickly as he caught a glimpse of black hair out of the corner of his eye, and sighed as he saw it was only Rain. She looked over at him and grinned as she walked over. Twinkling blue eyes looked him up and down; she walked around him slowly, as she took in the dark blue button-up shirt over a pair of khaki cargos, "You clean up nicely, for such a scruff ball."

"Thanks, Rain," he muttered, not rising to the bait. He looked back to the stairs as several more Gryffindor girls came down the stairs, including Anastasia who giggled at something her roommate said. She waved at Xander and Rain as they passed before bending to whisper something urgently in the auburn-haired girl's ear as they slipped through the portrait hole.

"Ready, Xander?" a soft soprano said from behind him and Rain grinned and quickly vanished, slipping away to the portrait hole and following the crowd quickly empting the Common Room. He looked back towards the stairs, to find Emilia standing with her hands twisted together in front of her.

He swallowed slightly as his eyes took her in, and she smiled nervously. Thanks to Rain and Anastasia's midnight work last night and a panicked, last-minute mirror call to her mother, she had picked out a pleated red and gold skirt that just brushed her knees, along with a white, long-sleeved top. Her hair was pulled back into a bushy tail, making her eyes seem huge in her face, and exposing her ears, which held a pair of emerald studs, a gift from her father for her last birthday. She scuffed the toe of her trainers against the slate floor as she cocked her head at Xander, waiting. Her eyes dropped, as he did not say anything for a moment.

A lead weight settled in his stomach at the sight, and something jolted his brain back into motion. "You look nice," Xander said quietly and she looked up at him, grinning, and walked over to him.

"You do too," she said softly as she stood a foot or two from him, "New shirt?"

"Yeah...Mum said it worked with my eyes," he replied with a shrug, and slipped his hands in his pockets. "Wanna go?" Emilia nodded and started towards the portrait hole. She paused and looked back towards him. Xander jumped into motion, and walked forward to the portrait hole. He held it open for her as she clambered through it and then looked at him as he let the portrait close.

Emilia nibbled on her lip as she walked beside him, periodically glancing over to meet his eyes as he did likewise. They made it to the Great Doors, where Alabaster Smityh, Argus Filch's replacement in the role as Caretaker to Hogwarts, waited to check permission slips. A role that was actually becoming challenging these days as the student population grew every year, and was currently almost twice what it had been in their parents' years here. Minerva McGonagall stood next to him, leaning on a lion-headed cane that she did not really need, but had adopted as a prop after her second stay in St. Mungo's.

She gave them both a nod as Xander handed Smityh the permission slips for both of them, and watched them go and board a carriage. A faint expression that might have actually been a smile crossed her lips, but quickly vanished as she turned back and frowned at the Baker twins, whom she knew quite well had been grounded from Hogsmeade by their parents for the foreseeable future. She had had tea with their grandmother the day before school started and had heard the long, sordid story of purloined brooms, a Manticore, and a couple of Yetis, while the twins were on vacation with their parents. McGonagall just pointed with her cane back towards the castle and the pair of Hufflepuffs shambled off.

The carriages let out at the end of the High Street of Hogsmeade, and Xander leapt out from the carriage and looked back, reaching a hand up to help Emilia from the carriage only to watch as she jumped down, ignoring the steps. She just shrugged at him, and they started out along the street, headed towards the main part of the town. In the years since its near destruction during the final battle of the war, the Wizarding town had almost quadrupled in size as a concerted rebuilding effort revitalized the town, bringing shops and homes back to the town.

The Three Broomsticks, Zonko's, Dervish and Banges, Scrivenshaft's, Honeydukes, all destroyed during the fighting, had all been rebuilt, though with Wizarding construction, the shops looked much as they had in Harry and Hermione's school years. Others had joined them, the first of which was the Weasley Twins' first expansion store, followed by a new expansion store for Florean Fortescue, who had been found a month after Voldemort's death, miraculously alive, in the basement of a suspected Death Eater's mansion...suspected as they were never sure that the body bearing the Dark Mark that was found in the rubble of Hogwarts, matched the either one of the pair of unidentified heads near by.

"Where do you want to go?" Xander asked nervously, looking up and down the street. Hogwarts students were spreading out in a thick wave, pouring into the shops and stores, yelling back and forth to each other. He looked at Emilia nervously and then away as he caught sight of a pair of Fifth Years, Annette Thrace and Samson Gander, standing closely under the eves of Zonko's. He looked away, blushing as Annette giggled and slapped away his hand as it pulled up the hem of her skirt and pulled him deeper into the alley, and out of sight.

Emilia looked at him, her cheeks pink as well, "I don't know...maybe Scrivenshaft's...I do need a new quill..." she said with a shrug.

"Alright." He pointed on down the street, "It's there."

"Yeah," Emilia agreed and they set off, dodging through the streets, and stepping around other students. Emilia glanced over at the doorway of Honeydukes as they passed and sighed softly, moving almost imperceptivity closer to Xander, "They are watching us, Xander."

"You noticed, huh?"

"Yeah," Emilia replied, as she gave Rain a quick, heartfelt glare. "Xander?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you...um..." he stopped and looked at her, a sixth year Slytherin and his date bumped into them, knocking Xander into Emilia and both of them into a thankfully unoccupied bench. Xander growled as he stood and spun, he took a step, and stopped, as a small hand grabbed onto his.

Emilia glared at the rapidly departing Slytherins, both now joined at the lips, and oblivious to anything, and then back at Xander. Her gaze softened, and she shook her head slightly, "Don't let those wankers ruin our day, Xander," she said softly and stood, pulling herself up with her right hand that was in his left. She pulled him along, starting him back in motion.

"But..." She shook her head and kept them moving towards the Quill shop at the end of the street. After a few more feet, Xander looked down at their hands, "Em...you haven't let go."

"Do you want me to?" she replied quietly, glancing down for a beat, as they stopped in the middle of the street just outside of the store.

"No...not really," Xander replied, with just a trace of squeak in his voice. She grinned up at him, and moved her hand slightly in his, interlacing her fingers with his, and led him into the store. After a half hour, in which they examined at least fifty quills, driving the shopkeeper slightly mad, and in which Em never let go of his hand, even though she wrote right handed, she picked three, and Xander one, mostly because he was there, more than anything, they walked back out onto the street. "What now?"

"I dunno," she replied, and looked at him, panning her eyes over his face as if she was looking for some hidden truth, or maybe a spot from breakfast. She slipped her free hand into the hidden pocket of her skirt, then played with the hem of her top for a beat, before looking down the street, "We could go to the...bookstore if you want...I know it's boring and all..."

"Not really," he replied, "It's alright I mean..."

She smiled shyly, and slowly started towards the bookstore, Xander automatically falling into step at her side as if they had been doing this for years-which they had, just without the hand holding, usually. She smiled up at him and tucked an escaped lock behind her left ear as he held the door for her, and let her lead him to the Transfiguration section.
Emilia started to look through the books idly, glancing back every so often to find Xander as he read the titles of a few select items in the Charms section on the other side of the aisle.

He picked up one on Changing You, Hairstyles for the Metamorph in You, "I'm going to get this for Abby for Christmas," he announced to Emilia, and she nodded.

She pulled down Weird, Wild and Wonderful Transfigurations and looked back towards him, turning and pulling the heavy book to her chest. "Thank you, Xander," Emilia said softly, almost timidly, as she rocked back and forth slightly on her heels.

"For what," he asked, bemused as he set his book down on a small table near him.

A stack of books floated by, cutting between them and Emilia turned and watched them float down the aisle, "I know that I'm not the best one to be seen with...you could have taken Naomi...or even Rain...I mean I can't even decide if I want to be a tomboy or a bookworm..."

"You're a very cute bookworm with tomboyish tendencies," Xander said quickly, almost blurting it out. Emilia's eyes widened, and she snapped to his, he nodded as if answering her silent question and blushed. "Um...you want to go get a butterbeer or something?" he said, and she nodded, holding her bottom lip in her teeth, as she almost jumped the several feet separating them until she could grab his hand again.

"Let's go, Xander," she said, and started to pull him towards the counter to pay for their books, "we might as well get the teasing over with."

"What, our friends and family tease us mercilessly about this?" he snorted, with a faint sense of dread, which vanished as she intertwined her fingers with his, and handed the clerk her money. "They would never do that."

"Noooo, that would never happen," she agreed with a small smirk on her lips that seemingly cast a spell removing all of the oxygen in the room for a minute. "You got my back, then?" she added, the question seemingly light, but somehow, it was not.

"Yeah, I suppose I do," Xander returned, and lead her from the bookstore towards the Three Broomsticks and the combined nefarious forces of the collected third and forth year Gryffindor and Ravenclaw houses, lying in wait.

A couple of long, innuendo-filled and teasing hours later, Xander and Emilia slipped out of the Three Broomsticks, both looking slightly harried but more or less whole. She looked sideways, giving him a small, knowing grin, and he laughed. They both looked along the street, finding it still crowded with students and staff, and Xander grabbed her hand and led her along the street until they reached a nearly empty section of street, leading towards where the Hogs Head had once stood seventeen years ago, but was now filled with houses and a custom broom shop.

"Wanna go look and see what's new?" Emilia said, looking towards the shop as she slowly swung their joined hands back and forth, "Dad's, thinking of getting one...Mum's not too hot on the idea though..."

"If you want," Xander replied, he looked back the other way, towards an old decrepit house on the hill above the town. It seemed even more run down these days than it had in previous years, but it still held the supposed stigma of almost forty years of dark happenings. "Em...I kinda would like to..."

"Yeah?"

"Would you like to go check out the Shrieking Shack?" He shrugged," I've heard about it from Dad, but, I'd kinda like to..."

"Sure," Emilia agreed with a small smile, she dropped her head and pushed her hair back behind her ear again, and started to pull them both up the hill, overcoming the bare trepidation that she knew he felt at the subject.

The large, worn and abandoned house sat as it had for the last forty or fifty years, windows boarded up, paint, what there was left of it, peeling and flaking away. The entire house seemed to sway in an invisible wind as they approached, stepping up to the very edge of a untended fence composed of a rusted pair of barbed wire strands strung along rotted fenceposts. A hand-lettered sign, painted on an irregularly-shaped chunk of wood was hung on the fence reading "Keep Out".

A faint feeling of dread settled over them as they stopped next to the wire and looked in across a barren yard to the front door. Emilia let go of Xander's hand and rested her hands on top of one chest-high fencepost. She watched as a knarl slipped by along the foundation of the house, "Do you want to get closer?"

"Sure," Xander replied, looked at the fence, "How do you want to get through the fence?" Emilia smiled at him, and nonchalantly clambered through the fence, Xander hurriedly looked away, lest he catch a glimpse of anything. She looked back and resettled her skirt around her legs, and looked back at him, finding him still looking back towards the town.

"You didn't have to do that, Xander," Emilia called softly, nibbling on her lower lip for an instant before continuing, "but thank you anyway." He just shrugged and followed, slipping through a gap, and deftly avoiding catching his clothes on the fence, before following her up to the house. She looked around, and motioned to Xander. She reached into his front pants pocket and quickly grabbed out a folding knife she knew he kept there, and pried at a half-nailed-on board that was blocking the entrance. She paused and dropped her head, blushing as she realized what she had just done.

She pulled on the board, and a moment later it flew backwards into the yard as Xander grabbed on and it tugged. She gave him an appreciative look and ducked through the resulting gap, and looked back as he followed. "Lumos," Emilia muttered and a spear of white light shot out from her wand, piercing the gloom of the house, which was only sporadically lit with shafts of light piercing the boarded-up windows. Xander followed her as they slowly wandered around the lower floor, finding old, tattered and shattered furniture, many of them bearing long claw marks.

She watched, silently, as he placed his hand into the claw marks, finding it short. "Do you want to go, Xan?" she asked quietly. He looked back and held her gaze for a moment; then finding something in her eyes, affection, friendship...he shook his head shortly.

She nodded at something unsaid, and reached back, taking his hand again, and started up the rickety stairs to the second floor. The light from her wand bobbed on the stairs as she led with her right hand as she pulled him along with her left. The ancient boards creaked and moaned as the two of them climbed the stairs cautiously. Emilia stopped, almost jerked off her feet as Xander stopped suddenly. She looked back, and she let his hand drop. "X...Xander..." she whispered, as he stepped into the shaft of her wandlight.

His eyes, dark brown eyes that she had seen at least once a week since she could remember, and usually much oftener than that, were gone, even the whites vanished into depthless pools of black. A pair of sharp, white fangs protruded from under his lip. Emilia took a sharp step back, and Xander flinched, stepping backwards into the dimness. "Xander," Emilia whispered, reaching for him and watching him take another step back, "w...what's wrong..."

"I...I sh...should leave," he stammered, his voice an octave or two lower than normal, more of a growl than actual words. He took a step, and blinked to find her in front of him. She reached out and grabbed his wrist, he tried to pull away, but found she would not let go. "L...let go, Em...I might hurt you."

"I don't believe that, Xander," she whispered. She swallowed a step closer and the light from her wand lit his face. She looked up into his eyes, and stepped closer, "I trust you, Xander," she took a final step forward and wrapped her arms around him, and buried her face in his shirt. She paused, hearing his heart race under her ear, like a caged animal's. "Whatever it is..." she took a breath, and her mind raced behind emerald eyes. "You're a wolfling...like a Damphir...but a were..." He nodded slowly, as she stepped back and took both of his hands in hers, her wand clattering to the tattered and scarred floorboards of the house, remaining lit even as it settled to the ground.

"I didn't want you to know," he muttered, dropping his head so she would not see his eyes. She let go of his left hand, keeping his right in her left. Her wand jumped back to her hand with a mutter, and she looked around the room, shining her wandlight around until she found another staircase upward.

"Come with me, Xander." Emilia soft voice brooked no argument as she pulled him along, and up the short set of stairs. A closed door was at the end of the stairs and with a flick of a wand, it opened to the afternoon sunlight and a soft breeze. Emilia pulled Xander out onto a small, hidden roof outlook and watched as Xander took several deep, shuddering breaths. His eyes slowly faded, brightening to his normal dark brown iris and bright white sclera as his fangs receded. She flicked her wand, cleaning the accumulated dust and leaves from the deck and motioned to the floor. He sat down with his back against a wall, and watched as she sat down across from him, bending her legs to the side. He watched her as she looked across at him, a soft look dancing in her eyes. "You won't tell anyone?"

"Not if you don't want me to," she replied, "what happened, Xander?"

"I don't know...I suppose there was too much of Dad still around here...I was stupid, Em, I should have known..." he looked up as she scooted closer to him, "I would hate for you to be afraid of me, Em...I don't want anyone to know, they'd be afraid of me, you can't know..."

"I do, Xander," she reached out and stopped halfway, pulling her hands back into her lap. She concentrated, closing her eyes and small bits of debris started to lift around them dancing and weaving in the breeze. They held there for a long, timeless moment, then collapsed to the ground with a soft clatter of sticks and stones to the wood around them. Emilia leaned forward, panting slightly. Xander's eyes slowly panned down to Emilia's wand, lying unlit and well away from her hands, and then back up to her face, finding her lower lip trapped between her teeth and her quivering slightly. "They were afraid of Mum and Dad, Xander...even their best friends..." She looked down at her wand, "Dad blew up his Aunt Marge when he was my age...met her once, horrible woman," she shook her head, throwing off the thought. "Rain doesn't even know, yet...but I'm going to tell her soon..."

"Do your parents know?" Xander asked as Emilia scooted over to sit next to him, leaning back against the wall next to him.

Emilia nodded, "Honestly, yeah, Mum recognized the signs in Sirius and I, after all she had already seen them in herself and Dad, though she never did anything as grandiose as Wandless Human Transfiguration when she got peeved...Honestly, Grandmum and Granddad would have never given her reason to be. Which is good...her temper's worse than Dad's actually, when she lets it go. I have her temper, Xander," she added quietly, and he shrugged and waved away the comment with a gesture. "Abby too?" Emilia asked, as she dropped her head to his shoulder as they both looked out the trees and houses to the huge castle looming over the surrounding area.

"Probably," he replied, and a faint flush swept up his neck, "Mum and Dad said something about her being tied more to the Lunar cycle..."

"Oh," Emilia said, understanding, and blushing slightly herself, "she is only eleven..." The pair of them fell silent as they watched squadrons of school owls wheel about over the castle in the distance. Emilia settled her head more comfortably on his shoulder, and sighed quietly as he slipped an arm around her shoulders.

She played idly with her wand, twirling it between her fingers like a drummer before she slipped it into her pocket, sliding it through the pass-through into the sheath strapped to her leg under her skirt. Silently, she debated calling Dobby and having the elf bring them something, her skill at conjuring beverages still leaving much to be desired, but refrained, somehow mere thirst did not seem a valid enough reason to disturb this hidden, silent corner of the world, where the air was still heavy with earth-shattering revelations. At least to a pair of thirteen-year-olds.

The traffic in the town below them ebbed and flowed, emptying slowly as Hogwarts' students started to head back to the castle, and finally Emilia looked down at her watch, and groaned, not wanting to leave for all the Galleons in the family vaults. "We need to leave, Xander."

"I know," he replied and stood slowly, reaching down and pulling her to her feet with deceptive ease. "This really isn't how I thought this would turn out," he mentioned, taking her hand and leading her back down through the house. She felt it, somehow when his other side started to manifest in the house, and felt it ebb just as fast as they reached the doors to the outside and stepped into the late afternoon sun. She followed him through the fence before answering.

"I prefer it, somehow," she replied quietly, several long silent minutes after his comment as they headed down the High Street to board the carriages. She waved at Rain, who was carrying a large bag from Honeydukes, along with Emilia and Xander's purchases, which the pair had left with her seemingly ages ago. Rain gave them a puzzled look and nodded towards the carriages. Emilia waved her on, and stopped, grabbing both of Xander's hands as she turned to face him. She took a breath and darted forward, kissing his cheek softly, and lingering for a beat before rocking back on her heels to face the now, bemused Xander. "Thank you, Xander...for everything."

An almost glow filled his eyes as he helped her aboard the carriage that Rain had already boarded and stepped up to follow her, back to Hogwarts, or to anywhere really.

A/N: There you go, feel better. The events that Tonks talked about are enumerated in A Visit to the Headmistress' Office which is here on PK, look for it under my account and its set during Circle, so if you haven't read it...go now. Next chapter, Hermione has a talk with her daughter, we catch up with some old friends and X/E reconnect...

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14. Acceptance of Fate

A/N: Ok, Em...really needs a bit o'...release. Lady Starlight has once more beaten my insanity down to a manageable level.

Chapter 13: Acceptance of Fate
*****************************Hogwarts***********************************

September 5, 2015
7:20 pm

Hermione stopped at the door of the Hospital Wing and looked at the small group gathered within, scattered across several beds and a couple of conjured chairs. Emilia was, of course, lying back against Xander. He was sitting up against the headboard of his bed, his color returned and a small, bright sparkle in his eyes as he laughed at something Rain said from her perch at the foot of the bed.

Across from them, Harriet was 'sitting' with her feet up along the headboard of the bed, and her back on the mattress, reading from a book floating over her head. Several notebooks were spread on the bed between her and Abigail at the other end of the bed. Elliot and Sirius occupied a pair of chairs set between the beds, a small table holding a Wizard's Chess set between them.

Hermione started forward and stopped, suddenly, as she looked at the set a touch more closely. She watched as a tiny version of herself dodged an attack, from what she thought absently was a rather poor rendition of Lucius Malfoy. The tiny her flipped over the top of the Death Eater's image, and snapped her hand down. A blue spark snapped from her hand, and the Black Bishop exploded.

"At least I'm the White Queen," Hermione said, shocking both boys out of their stupor. They looked up at her guiltily. She smiled and stalked forward, sliding past Elliot to sit on the bed next to Harriet's head. She leaned forward and picked up the White King, "Harry's hair needs to be a touch messier," she mused. The tiny Harry looked up and smiled at her, and she set him back down on the squares. She laughed softly as she watched the tiny rendition of herself walk over to the tiny Harry, drop a pair of Daggers and snog him fiercely.

"Aww, bloody hell, when they start that, they are on for hours..." Elliot groaned. Emilia laughed and looked up to Hermione.

Hermione's gaze slowly panned to her daughter, the one that she had born anyway, and Emilia covered her face with her hands for an instant. She looked up at Hermione, "That's the second prototype, Fred brought it by this morning...evidentially, the first version...was a touch more, um...unrestrained, with their feelings."

"I can imagine," Hermione replied wryly, she looked over at Emilia, "Em, can I talk to you, Honey?"

"Um," Emilia looked back at Xander, then at her siblings, both natural and de facto, and then back at Hermione, "sure, Mum." Hermione stood and watched as Emilia turned and kissed Xander, before she hopped from the bed, smoothed her skirt back down over her legs and toed on a pair of sandals. She followed Hermione into the hall and looked across at her mother, "Mum, what..." Hermione reached across, grabbed her hand and they vanished.

The pair reappeared halfway across the castle, standing on one of the covered flying bridges overlooking the grounds. Hermione turned around and leaned against one of the arches holding the roof above them. "We need to talk, Em...something I should have done before."

"Mum, I uh...hate to..."

"Emilia Luna...I had to learn that myself, too," Hermione met her daughter's eyes and they both laughed. Hermione slid down to the floor of the bridge, her back to the waist-high railing behind her. She watched as Emilia dropped to the floor across from her, crossing her legs and sitting Indian style. "But it is about you and Xander, though," Hermione went on, hesitantly; she looked down at her hands, and then back up at Emilia. "You're losing yourself in him, Em."

"Mum, I..." Emilia stiffened slightly. Emerald eyes hardened and faint flickers of fire lit them, "I am not going to leave him, Mother," she growled darkly. "That would seem to be a touch hypocritical..."

Hermione took a breath, "That is the one thing I would never ask of you, Emilia." Emilia seemed to collapse, and brought her knees up in front of her, wrapping her arms around bare knees and squeezing them to her chest. Hermione slowly moved over to the other side of the bridge, sitting next to Emilia, and wrapping her arms around her.

"I'm sorry, Mummy," Emilia whispered, "It's just that I almost..."

"I know, Em, I know," Hermione said, reaching up and slowly stroking Emilia's hair, "I've been where you are at...the only difference is, I had years to get used to the idea..." Hermione turned and looked off into the distance for a beat. "When we were eleven...I was twelve actually, I sat in the Hospital Wing and watched your father lying there, I thought I'd die then. I did the same thing again and again, each time with that dread just getting deeper, with him getting hurt from everything from rogue Dementors, to Bludgers, to Dark Lords. He did the same, watching as I was petrified, and then almost killed at the Ministry..."

"How is this different?"

"It's not, not really," Hermione admitted after a minute, she continued to run her fingers along her daughters hair, before she started speaking again, "We never talked about this, about how much worse it is, about how the fear can get so thick in the middle of the night that the only way you can sleep is to hold onto them and damn near try to crawl inside them just so you can feel safe."

"I don't care, Mum," Emilia whispered. She looked up and back towards her mother, "I'm not running..." she sighed, bringing her hands up to scrub at her eyes tiredly.

"I see you moved your ring."

"Yeah," Emilia muttered, "Is it going to cause you and Dad problems?"

"If it does, we'll deal with them," Hermione replied quietly. She paused for a moment, watching as Sirius' owl swooped by the bridge, pausing to hoot a soft hello at them, before continuing her late afternoon hunt. "We never meant for you and your brother to have to deal with this shyte... Rita or some other reporter with nothing else better to do following you everywhere...Have you and Xander even had a date that wasn't in a purely Muggle part of the country...besides Hogsmeade that is?" Emilia shrugged.

"Its not that big of a deal, mum," she muttered. She slowly pushed to her feet and paced over to the other side of the bridge, looking down at the grounds far below. "I'm not sure that there is a me without him anymore," Emilia said, looking down at her ring; that glowed for a moment, as her eyes lit and faded. "I'm not sure that there was before the bond established."

"Seems like that sometimes, doesn't it?" Hermione mused in reply, not bothering to get up to cross to her daughter. Emilia turned around, looking back towards Hermione. "I remember back when I got the letter," Emilia grinned and Hermione conjured a single yellow canary that flew over and landed on Em's shoulder, trilled a brief song and vanished with a pop. "I'm not that old, Em."

"No, Mum, I'm sure in three, four hundred years you'll be telling me the same thing."

Hermione stuck out her tongue, before sighing, "I remember when I got it," she went on, "And I made mum and dad take me to Diagon Alley, after Minerva explained it, of course, just so I could learn all about this place...And I remember that almost the first book I read, was this book...Magical Events of the Twentieth Century. It was the first place that I met your dad, I suppose. And then, I read all these others, interspersed with my new textbooks, of course, and I felt I knew him. Merlin, I was so wrong...I think I was more of a fangirl than Ginny was then."

"I can't believe that, Mum, I've seen you two, you..."

"I learned that he has faults, Em," Emilia started to object, but Hermione shook her head quickly, "I know that you know that...you've seen them, but that's not the point. In some ways, it's more, normal, for you to have fallen for some random boy you started to date...You don't already know every habit, don't know instinctively the way he likes his tea, or how many Chocolate Frog cards he has, or why enclosed spaces still scare him..." Emilia swallowed heavily at the last, but Hermione did not notice.

"But I do, mum," Emilia whispered, "What do I do?"

"Just be careful, Emilia...Lord knows that I'm going to have to have this talk with either Sirius or Harriet, yet..."

"You think?" Emilia giggled slightly. Hermione snorted and held her arms out, closing them around Emilia as she knelt next to her mother and buried her face in her shoulder. "I'll try, Mummy."

***************************Canton**********************************
9:30 pm

Jane Granger grimaced slightly as she looked over another patient's files and sat back on her couch, scrubbing at her eyes tiredly. She looked up as Roger slipped in the room, and stopped along the back of the couch, bending down and kissing her upside down. "You know you look all sexy when you get annoyed, dear," Roger waggled his eyebrows and she laughed.

"Hush you...I'm an old woman," Jane objected, and he rolled his eyes, vaulting over the back of the couch and landing on the other side. In fact, Jane's comment was somewhat fatuous, between modern twenty-first century Muggle and Magical Medicine, both of them looked as if they were much closer to well-preserved mid-thirty-year-olds as they might have been in the last decade of the last century. The new longevity record for Muggles was one-hundred-fifty, held by a woman in California, while there was a raging debate on the Wizarding side in the appropriate journals on current average mortality, some theories were stating that two hundred, to two-fifty should be the new, average.

No one had quite sussed out the impact that would have on either society.

She stretched out along the couch, letting her head fall in his lap, she closed her eyes as he began to lightly comb his fingers through her hair. "So...do you think our granddaughter or daughter will get hitched first?" Jane asked quietly and he laughed.

"Well considering our other one just went and did it...who knows," Roger replied, still laughing faintly. "How's Hermione taking it?"

Jane shrugged and made a quiet contented sound before she rolled onto her side, scooting up a tad to let him play with the bare strip of skin at her hip. Roger started to run his fingers under the edge of her sleep pants and she snuggled down further into his lap, getting more comfortable. "Keep that up, Mr. Granger...I won't be responsible for the consequences."

"Last time you said that...Anna showed up nine months later..."

"Not this time," she grinned at him. She sighed, and closed her eyes, letting her head fall to the side again, "Hermione's going mental...not that, that's a surprise," she allowed. "She's determined not to interfere...it's not like everyone from the Familiars to Dumbledore hasn't seen it coming...but she doesn't want Em to have to go through some of the things that she had to."

"As far as I know, Xander doesn't have a big nasty Dark Wizard after him, does he?"

"It's only Saturday, there's still time in the week," Jane replied with a faint, tight smile. Her smile brightened, "Hermione's got both at the same time." Jane laughed softly, and Roger grinned. "Honestly, she's doing fine, she's still more worried how Em and Xander are going to take this year, Dumbledore still hasn't said anything about their sleeping arrangements."

"They have invisibility cloaks, right?" Roger mused, not even pausing on the fact that the magical solution was the first to come to mind. "It's not like Neville will say a bloody thing anyway, as long as the two don't make a issue of it...Its not like they all don't know went on that last year..."

"Yeah," Jane sat up and tucked her feet under her bum as she curled under his arm. She settled under his arm, "But the kids were all of age then...not that makes damn bit of difference really, they are all sixteen, old enough...hell Luna was living with Ron, by then. Hermione's not wanting to have to pull out the 'betrothed card', even though they are an old enough family to force the issue. Hell, Arthur's on the Governors' Board..."

"Speaking of that...is Molly still giving them shyte about Harriet?" Roger asked, running his fingers along her side.

"You know her, she's got some version of reality in her mind and hers must be the way it is. Harriet, herself, told her that she would rather be at the Hollow..."

"That wouldn't have anything to do with the fact she just might have a teensy little crush, on my grandson, would it?" Roger said insightfully. Jane snorted and slid from his arms, standing, and turning back to kiss him quickly.

"I'm going to fix a bit of tea," she explained, straightening, and starting towards the kitchen, she looked back over her shoulder as she gained the door, he nodded, and she pushed on through into the kitchen. "Remus and Tonks are coming over tomorrow for lunch," she reminded him through the door and he nodded, even though he could not see him.

****************************Bristol**************************************

The smell of smoke and ash filled the air as a patch of air shimmered and solidified in a dark, damp alley, with a faint CRACK. A tall, thin woman gathered a long, black cloak along her frame and strode from the alley, taking a right onto the street.

She moved down it quickly, her long, almost-silver blonde hair swinging behind her, dark boots showing with each step as she moved down the Muggle street. A vagrant looked up at her, sneering and she stepped around him, ignoring the taunt he said to her. He stood slowly, some other jeer on his lips and a red light flickered across the distance, sending him sliding down into the muck at the edge of the street.

After another block, she stopped in front of a dark and shuttered door. A cracked wooden sign hung above her head, dangling from one chain, with the words "Darklings" barely visible in red. She reached out to grab a tarnished brass doorknob. A faint sparkle of light outlined her hand as she pulled the door open and stepped through into a different world.

A doorman in black, sparkling robes stepped to her, taking her coat and folding it over one arm. "It is good to see you again, M'Lady," he said in a faint Irish accent. She nodded and waited. "Your companion is waiting."

"Take me to her," Narcissa Black said with a faint undercurrent of annoyance. The doorman handed off her coat to a young boy in a green and silver uniform and started forward into a room full of small round tables covered in crisp white linen. Only a few tables were filled at this hour, but it was one particular table that they moved towards, one set back in a corner behind a subtle screen of dark green plants. Narcissa stepped around the barrier and sat, looking across slowly at the woman looking back at her with a small smile.

The black-haired woman took a slow sip from a crystal goblet of a dark red wine and slowly licked her lips, gathering an errant drop of liquid. She smiled, and Narcissa made a slight face, "What do you want, Bella?" she said darkly.

"Is that any way to greet your beloved sister?" she smirked faintly. She took another sip of her wine, "I would think that you would be grateful for a chance to meet with me, to step on your native soil once more."

"Hardly," Narcissa snapped dryly, lowly, she looked around quickly.

"Of course I have a privacy charm up," Bellatrix said with a faint, slightly mocking laugh, "do you think me a fool?"

"In a word," Narcissa paused as a waiter appeared and set a glass of red in front of her and vanished, "yes. I am taking my life in my hands the instant I stepped back in England. I am free only on by the grace that none of the Aurors bother to look for me. I am risking that freedom by even stepping onto this soil, let alone meeting with the woman who stupidly attacked Potter's daughter in Diagon Alley in broad daylight."

"A little, half-blooded slag of no consequence..."

"Our prejudices cost us dearly, sister," Narcissa hissed, "I am tired of the old ways, they have cost me a husband, a son and a home..."

"You should hold your origins as sacred sister...your own grandson sullies himself with a Mudblood, in your house, the grand Malfoy Manor and you sit here..."

"What do you want, Bella?" Narcissa cut in tiredly, and took a deep drink of her wine. "Because of you, and my husband...I have never even met either of my grandsons...I am tired of it all." Narcissa took another drink of her wine.

"It is better that you haven't, your son is a blood-traitor, he..." Narcissa took a breath and started to stand, only to stop as Bellatrix reached out and grabbed her. "I need to gain entry to the manor, sister...you owe me, it was only my actions that allowed you to save your son."

"Only because I entered into an Unbreakable Vow with Severus," Narcissa growled back, but sat anyway. She crossed her arms, "What do you need, Bella? Draco, himself, would kill you as soon as look at you, let alone look at you, let alone what his wife will do to you..."

"It is not your concern as to what I need, only that I need entrance into the house," Bellatrix said snappishly, "All I need to know is that you will grant it."

Narcissa stared at her for a long moment, "Very well then, Bellatrix, then we are done...if I see you again, it will be so I can trade you for my freedom...I am sure that the Ministry would much rather have your head on a pike instead of mine." Narcissa stood, "I will make the arrangements, there are certain...items that I must procure...good night, sister, I know how to get a message to you." Narcissa took a step back and vanished with a soft CRACK.

Bellatrix smiled at the now empty chair across from you. "Yes, my sister, you will most certainly see me again." She took another drink of her wine, finishing it and gesturing for another.

*****************************Ministry of Magic****************************

September 6, 2015
2:15 am

Harry sat in a soft pool of light, cast by an Illumination Sphere hovering over his shoulder. Beyond his desk, the confines of his office were only dimly visible, as he slowly paged through stacks of reports on the activities of known and suspected dark wizards and their associates. He slowly closed the folder in his hand and looked off into the dimness, into a corner where, even though he couldn't see readily see her, he knew Hermione was slumbering lightly on the couch, and her head pillowed on the arm, facing him.

He had tried to send her home hours ago, after she had arrived back from her talk with Emilia at Hogwarts, but to no avail. Not that he had really thought she would go. Over the past eighteen years, neither had willingly been separated from the other, for almost any reason, and a pitiably little one such as getting some sleep would never be reason enough for that. And it was not as if either could hardly sleep without the other's presence anyway.

Harry knew the instant her eyes flickered open, unseen in the shadows, "What time is it?" she groaned, stretching like a cat and sitting up. She read the answer from his mind and stood slowly, pacing over to the desk and pulling the folder from his hands. Hermione read the title and sighed, "They'll be there tomorrow, Love." She pushed his chair back from the desk and dropped on his lap, effectively separating him from their work, and curled up.

"I know," Harry muttered, not quite meeting her eyes. Hers flicked heavenward, before she bent her head to kiss him, and settled back against his shoulder. "I remember when I was the one who had to drag you away from stacks of parchments."

"I had two kids," she replied with a faint grin, "I learned."

His fingers slipped up under the hem of her jumper, lightly running along her ribs, "And I had nothing to do with you learning to relax?"

"Honestly...maybe a little," Hermione allowed and he laughed quietly. She lightly rapped the back of her head on his shoulder and sighed quietly as she snuggled up into his arms. Harry let his head flop to the side, and stared at the offending stacks of parchments for a long, tired series of minutes. They passed silently as Hermione sat, content to play idly with his fingers. Without warning, Harry's face split in a huge yawn, and she looked up and back, crooking one eyebrow.

Fine, we'll go home, he smirked faintly as he tightened his arms around her, it's Sunday, we can have a bit of a lie-in...Since we won't be...disturbed.

We'll see, Hermione replied, not that she had any objections to the stated goal, or the implied one. Her eyes flickered and they vanished without moving, the office suddenly silent and still.

The light from the orb slowly faded, automatically dimming as it found no one there. Just as it almost faded totally out, a new parchment appeared on Harry's desk with a soft POP: "Report on 5 September 2015 sighting of Narcissa Malfoy..."

*************************Hogwarts**********************************

September 9, 2015. (Wednesday)
8:20 am

After a few more days of recovery, Poppy and Parvati had finally agreed to let Xander back into classes, and out of the Hospital Wing. In the end, it was mostly Poppy that had delayed his return, Parvati had said he was alright for class work, though not Quidditch or DADA practical work, on Monday morning before she had returned to St. Mungo's for the day. All of that was all well and good, especially as it finally relieved Rain, Harriet and the other Gryffindor sixth years of the burden of note-taking and handing off homework assignments for both Xander and Emilia, as she had, somewhat despite her mother's words, not been all that attentive in class, when she had even gone. She had yet to make a DADA class.

The Professor, Grayson Harriman, had given her a pass.

This morning, however, was Potions, and all of them were in attendance. Rain watched as Emilia periodically glanced at Xander, watching him like a hawk. She shook her head slightly and looked over at Harriet, to find her intently watching the swirl of colors in their cauldron. Rain sighed; This is going to be a long year.

At the front of the classroom, which was rather cleaner and somewhat better lit than under the previous professors, Draco looked around the room and adjusted his deep black robes around his slender frame, as he examined the class. To this day, despite or maybe in defiance of the incessant cajoling of his new family, he insisted that the color was to hide stains. No one believed him. He started to pace about the front of the room, "If you have not already ruined it, your potion should now be a red color, blending to blue." He looked at Emilia to find her once again looking over at Xander, "Miss Potter, as we are about to add powdered Tsemaus scale to your potions," he paused as several students not-so-covertly dug through their Potions ingredients, "can you explain why we did not use the more common kelpie fin extract in the mixture?"

Emilia blinked as she looked up at him, "Kelpie fin extract would react explosively with the Snapdragon root, the Tsemaus scale, while similar does not have the Cinnabar that often accumulates in Kelpie scales."

Draco nodded and frowned slightly at some thought as he held her emerald gaze for a beat, "Five points to Gryffindor," he replied, and resumed his pacing, "Very well then, add your scale and bring the potion to a simmer." He smirked darkly, "And then we will have a bit of a quiz on what you should have read last night." A faint groan answered his words as he flicked his wand and exam books appeared on desks. A series of questions wrote themselves across the board at the head of the room with another flick and he sat behind his desk and threw his feet up. "You may leave when you are done, your potions will be waiting for you next week, when you can take them off the heat."

Emilia sighed quietly across her and Xander's link and he smiled as he looked down at his desk, So, Em, when did you read this chapter?

Fourth year, she whispered back, as her quill started to blur over the paper without seemingly to even pause to gather a thought. Stop reading the answers from my head, Xander.

You won't share, Xander pouted and started in on a question about Asperil and its uses to lessen the side effects of certain wormwood-based potions. I thought we were supposed to share everything...

I have something I'd be glad to share about every 28 days...

I already have to put up with the moon, love, Xander replied. She gave him a quick smile and reached down under the table, squeezing his leg for an instant before she returned to her paper. He smiled covertly and concentrated on finishing his paper, mostly ignoring the answers to each question that flitted across the back of his mind as Emilia wrote out the answers in her head.

She finished a few minutes later and waited, content to just watch him as he finished his own paper. Emilia twisted a small braid set with several small colored beads, around and around one finger, the same as her mother wore in her own hair most days. Hermione had never really explained what it meant, only that she loved Emilia's father very, very much. Emilia had only found out this summer that it meant that Hermione was part of a bonded pair, the custom from the times of the founders when rings were not always practical in the warrior covens of the time.

Xander looked up as he finished and glanced to the door with just his eyes. She bit her lip and nodded. She gathered her gear and stood, sharing a glance and faint nod with her "sisters". She followed Xander out into the hall and headed down it, towards the stairs out of the still rather dismal dungeons and up towards the more livable areas of the castle.

Emilia looked over at him out of the corner of her eye, Xan?

Yeah, Em, he replied distractedly as he stepped around the corner and paused as he looked back to find Emilia still standing at the base of the stairs leading upward. She rested her hand on the brass doorknob of a closet and looked at him, crooking a dark eyebrow.

Come here, Xander, she said, her 'voice' an octave lower than normal. She leaned back against the door, letting her outer robe fall open and slowly brought her right leg up, bending it to rest the sole of her Mary-Jane on the door behind her. Her skirt rode up with the movement, as she stretched her arms above her head.

Xander stepped over and rested his hands on the door on either side of her head, Was there something you wish to discuss, Emilia Luna?

She let her arms fall down, slipping between his to work their way under his robes. Just that, I really miss you, Xander. Her fingers slowly worked into his rear pockets, pulling him closer. Her head cocked to the side, just enough to clear his nose, and kissed him, groaning faintly into the kiss as her lips opened automatically, letting his tongue mate with hers. She let one hand fall back to the knob and turned it, before she pushed him back just enough with the other to let it open. She quickly stepped around the door and pulled him into the closet by his tie.

Xander chanced a quick glance around the closet, which was lit with a strange source-less light from above, and was rather larger on the inside than seemed to be necessary. Several shelves were filled with random cleaning products, and a pair of unused brooms sat in one corner. Emilia looked at him, smirking faintly and flicked her wand at the door. It flashed white, and a soft click came from the lock. "Xander..." Emilia licked her lips absently, watching as Xander took a quick, deep breath. She shrugged her robe off and it fell to the floor with a soft thump. "I need you, Xander."

Her chest visibly hitched as she watched as the whites slowly vanished from Xander's eyes and twin needle sharp fangs extended from under his lips. "We need to be quick," he murmured, "I hate to do that to you..."

Emilia's eyes lit, and her hair started to float, tendrils escaping the bushy tail it was pulled back in, "I've been wanting you all morning, Xander," she murmured and took two steps to him, grabbing his head and kissing him, crashing him back against a cabinet of supplies. She giggled against his neck, her eyes half-closed, and her fingers started to rapidly work at his belt, giving up after a beat and vanishing it with a quiet pop. Emilia's eyes opened fully as she felt her skirt being pushed up and Xander's fingers lightly tracing along the outside of her thighs.

"You don't need these do you?" he murmured, she shook her head quickly, and gasped as she felt her knickers rip away. He tossed the scrap of fabric to the floor of the closet, and kissed her almost savagely, a faint growl slipping from his lips. Her eyes bored into his and a faint smirk danced across her lips as she finished undoing his trousers and reached into his boxers, stroking him several times, before she pushed his trousers and boxers partially down his legs.

Xander's growl increased. He MOVED and Emilia squeaked as she felt herself be spun around to face the door. She smiled and slowly worked her rear back as only to freeze as strong hands grabbed her hips. One of them left her hip for an instant; she felt her skirt flip up. Inconceivious, she thought hurriedly, and felt the warm flush along her nerves as the charm took hold. She panted for a moment, her eyes glowing more fiercely, before she looked back over her shoulder to meet his eyes.

His eyes slipped closed as he slid into her, and she let out a soft yelp. She held his gaze as her thoughts swirled and intertwined with his, her heartbeat matching his without a thought or conscious command.

Xander started to move without a word, already speeding up to meet her at a wordless look in her eyes. She whimpered softly, forgetting that she had silenced the room, as she tried to move back against him, only to be stymied by his hands on her hips holding her still.

A soft, mewing sound slipped from her throat as she braced her hands against the door, "Fucckkkk," she groaned as Xander moved faster. He panted something, probably her name as he moved even faster, his nerves alive with the shared sensations crashing along his nerves. Her eyes slipped almost closed, as she let her head fall to her chest, and small rivets of sweat trickled down her neck, and inside her shirt.

She shook her head, flinging her hair back as she felt her stomach tighten, a tingling settling at the base of her spine, or perhaps Xander's. Emilia let one hand slip down from the door and settle between her thighs, touching where they were joined.

"Oh....Goddddd," Emilia gasped as a rush of fire filled her nerves and went limp, shuddering and clenching around him. A wave of faintly visible light ripped out from her, sending cleaning supplies tumbling to the ground. Xander moved twice more and groaned, shuddering and letting go into her, unconsciously holding her to him.

He staggered back a step, still holding Emilia to his lap and felt his back hit an empty wall. He slid to the floor, cushioning her against him, and sat with this back against the wall, panting into her neck. Emilia looked up and back, and pulled his head to hers with a shaking hand. She broke the kiss after a beat, and with a look, they shared a quick, breathless laugh.

Emilia shook slightly as she curled up in his arms, still mostly seated in his lap. She looked around the room, which was almost totally discombobulated, and let her head fall back against his shoulder. Their breathing slowed from near pants, and the glow faded from her eyes as Xander's eyes returned to merely human. Emilia muttered a cleaning charm, and a brief breeze ruffled her disordered skirt. "We go that long again...it could kill us," she commented after a long moment.

Xander grinned faintly, and kissed her neck, "But what a great way to go."

Emilia barked a laugh, and fell silent again. "What are we going to do tonight, Xander?" she whispered, grabbing his hand and running her thumb over the back idly, "I can escape my room if necessary...come up to yours, I doubt Elliot or Bob would care...if they know what's good for them..."

"Whatever you want, Em," he shrugged, "I thought Dumbledore was supposed to have some solution." Xander sighed, "I suppose we should, try, to sleep apart...I will still have that nagging voice in the back of my mind," he added with a faint grin, and she scowled, reaching back to rap him on the back of the head.

She let her expression fall, and shrugged, "I guess. It shouldn't be so bad..." She stood, pushing off his shoulder and summoned her robe from the floor with a vague gesture. She settled it on her shoulders, and looked down at the bit of black fabric laying on the floor, and then up at Xander, "I didn't really think you were going to rip them off, now what am I going to wear, they never repair right."

Xander finished repairing his appearance, and bent down slightly, kissing the side of her hair, "It'll save us time later." Emilia rolled her eyes, but did not argue as she canceled the charms on the closet with a word. The air seemed to stretch, twisting on itself before they vanished with a POP. She gave Xander one last disparaging look, before she vanished the offending remnants and opened the door, taking one quick look before quickly stepping out into the empty hall.

They started up the stairs, reaching the main floor when Xander glanced down at his watch, "You do still have time to run up to your room, before Arithmancy," he said almost guiltily.

Emilia turned, leaned up, and kissed his cheek, "I'm good, this is an only moderately fun skirt." Her eyes twinkled as she walked backwards, and broke into a run with a giggle as he lurched at her, stumbling into a run as he began a laughing pursuit.

*************************Great Hall*****************************
Noon

Sirius rolled his eyes as he took in his sister and Xander, snuggling together on the other side of the table, a few seats closer to the Head Table from him. He shook his head, and looked back to his DADA textbook, having just left the classroom from his morning session.

He sat engrossed, even though he had already read the book twice, until a soft sound, one that he would have normally ignored, caught his attention to his right. He looked up and right, to find Harriet looking at him. She held his gaze for a bit, not blinking, "Can you pass the pumpkin juice, Sirius?" Harriet asked quietly, her voice barely audible over the bustle of the Great Hall at lunch.

She waited as he looked at her dumbly for a beat, "Oh...yeah," Sirius said, his brain catching up. He turned and grabbed the pitcher by the handle. He poured a goblet full for her without asking, and she gave him a small smile in thanks before she turned back to the book she had sitting before her on the table. Sirius watched her for an instant, his mind going blank for a moment as he watched glimmers of sunlight on her hair, before he took a breath and shook his head slightly and returned to his book.

He turned his page, and absently took a bite of a cod fillet from his lunch of fish and chips. Harriet looked up from her own book, and watched him for a minute, ignoring her shepherd's pie, before she looked down and away, just as Sirius looked up. He looked back to his book, and started to read again. His fingers started to absently move in the wand patterns described in the text as he read.

A soft, creaking sound came from the bench next to him as someone else sat down, which he ignored as he normally did. "What are you looking at, Sirius?" a quiet alto asked from near his ear. Sirius started, having pulled in his senses enough to only notice Harriet, his sister and Xander and Rain in the back of his mind, four people that he instinctively knew anywhere.

He turned, moving back from the head of sleek, dark brown hair and grey doe-eyes, as they looked up at him though artistically long lashes. "Hello, Naomi," Sirius said politely. "Defense," he added after a moment.

Naomi smiled and leaned closer, bending over his arm to ostensibly look at his book, the movement causing a bit of her blouse to gap open, just enough to expose, briefly, a bit of purple lace. "You are really good at that, Sirius, much better than me..." she smiled as she straightened, and let the fingers of one hand lightly trail over his arm. "I know that you are a year down...but could you help me in that class...I'm always behind, I don't know how I managed to get an OWL in it..."

Sirius shrugged, and looked at her. "Ummm...if you want, I guess I can, though wouldn't you rather have Em or Rain help you, they are in your year after all."

"But you are sooo good at it," Naomi whispered, her eyes subtly wider than seemingly possible. She let her fingers trail along his arm again, as she held his gaze, not noticing as Rain looked up, scowled and reached over, swatting Emilia on the knee to get her attention. Emilia looked up, her eyes slightly hazy. The trademark Potter gaze cleared and sharpened as she followed Rain's tiny gesture towards her brother. Emilia's lips tightened to a thin line as she saw Naomi still leaning close. Emilia's eyes flicked to Harriet and her stomach lurched at the look she saw there.

Emilia started to move, only to stop as Rain touched her leg again and gave her a tiny shake of her head. She started to say something, but watched as Sirius looked up and just for a beat his eyes found Harriet. "Harriet," Sirius said, "do you think that you and maybe Rain and Em could help Naomi with Defense? She needs help with it."

"But Siri..." Naomi pouted, "You are soo good at it, after all your dad is..." Sirius' expression closed suddenly, and he stood from the table. "Siri, what's..."

"I am not my father, Naomi," Sirius said very quietly and walked from the Great Hall, with several pairs of eyes following his every move. Naomi frowned as she moved back to the Ravenclaw table, the Gryffindor one being rather unfriendly at the moment.

Harriet watched silently as Naomi sat back down at the other table, a faint hard glitter filling silvery-grey eyes, before she stood as well, leaving behind her bag and trailed Sirius to the door. Behind her, Emilia shook off her friend and stood, moving slowly around the table with dark promise filling her eyes.

Ten minutes later, without knowing exactly how she traveled the intervening kilometer or so, Harriet found herself walking along the edge of the Black Lake. A soft breeze was blowing from the north, down along the Guardian Mountains, sending her hair dancing. She shivered slightly, and wrapped her arms around herself, having left her outer robe with her books in the Great Hall.

She shrugged, and continued on, walking along a thousand-year-old trail. She stepped over a fallen limp, and watched, distractedly, as a pair of deer darted across the trail, spooked by her passage. Harriet watched her feet, seemingly fascinated by the dull gleam of her shoes as they caught bits of sunlight slipping through the overhanging canopy of the trees.

After another few minutes, maybe, she never really paid attention to time if she could help it; she stopped at the edge of a small clearing, her eyes coming to rest on an old beech tree at the edge of the lake. She took a breath, as she found Sirius sitting at the base of the tree, his head down and resting on his drawn up knees. Harriet walked across the clearing and knelt next to him, "Alright there, Sirius?" she asked softly.

She folded her hands in her lap, twisting them together, as she waited his response. "I'm not my dad, Harriet," Sirius said, his voice muffled as he reached up with both hands and scrubbed his hands through his hair ruffling it beyond normal. "I love my parents, Harriet...hell I may be as powerful as them someday, even, but I don't want to be them."

Harriet looked down and watched her hands, before she scooted closer to him on her knees, ignoring, or not noticing, the ground under them. Tentatively, she reached out with one hand, touching his hand on his knee. She held it there, until his head slowly lifted, his eyes tired and forlorn as they found hers. "I...I know," she whispered.

"Em's going to be an Auror...Xander too, but I don't know if I do...I could be, I guess, I know it's in my blood, but I want something else I think..."

Harriet moved to sit next to him and leaned her back against the tree. She drew her knees up to her chest, mirroring his posture, "In the...other place," Harriet said quietly, looking over at him without moving her head, "all of the kids would whisper, every time I walked down the hall. They all knew mum and dad...or at least thought they did, they were legends in that universe..."

"I almost would like to explore..." Sirius murmured, "To wander around the world where I would to look into things, see what I can dig up...hell, the Muggles are getting ready to launch their first starship...maybe I can even explore somewhere else." He smiled slightly, "Maybe I can find you a Snorkack or two..."

"Can I come with you?" Harriet asked, she smiled slightly as he did; she took a breath at something she saw in his face. He nodded, and watched as she returned the gesture. They fell silent, watching the ripple of the water as the sun slowly danced across the sky. Harriet shivered suddenly as a gust of wind cut through the trees, ruffling her clothes. Sirius frowned, as he clambered to his knees and shrugged off his robe. He draped it around her like a blanket. "Thank you," Harriet said, looking up at him. He shrugged and sat back down next to her.

"She was pretty," Harriet said after a moment's silence had passed.

"Who?" Sirius asked, blinking away a contemplative expression that had fallen over his face.

"That girl...Naomi," Harriet replied evenly, her voice betraying no emotion at all.

Sirius shrugged, "I guess," he replied after a beat, looking off into the distance as the squid breached the surface of the water to lazily wave a tentacle at them.

"I think that she wanted to..." Harriet looked back towards the castle, "I'm sure that if you..."

"I've seen prettier," Sirius said absently, seemingly not hearing Harriet's words. He looked towards the castle as a bell tolled over the grounds, and stood, extending his hand down to her. He pulled her to her feet easily, "We need to get to class, Harriet." He gnawed his lip for an instant, "Thank you." She smiled crookedly and started towards the castle, handing him back his robes as she walked. "You can keep them until we get back, Harriet, if you are still cold."

"I'm warm enough."

*************************Gryffindor Tower******************************

September 10, 2015
1:20 am

The moonlight spilling in the narrow, leaded glass windows cast the circular room, filled with several crimson-trimmed four-posters into sharp relief. Soft snores came from several of the beds, all of which had closed curtains except one, the one farthest from the door and directly under a window that overlooked the grounds and the site of Hagrid's long-lost hut. Slowly, a shaft of light arced across the room, as a door opened, letting in a single, slight form.

She padded across the room, almost in a daze, her bare feet silent on the slate floor as she slipped past the shuttered beds, passing open trunks and piles of laundry that should have been collected. She stepped over a sleeping toad, one of the boys', and stopped next to the bed with the drawn curtains. She frowned as she looked down at the occupant, he was tossing and turning in a fitful slumber, his sheets were rumpled and his hair wild.

Emilia shivered in the cool room, dressed only in a grey camisole and red flannel pants, as she stood for another minute, looking down. Her eyes cleared as she watched him for another timeless instant, before she took a breath and slowly slipped under the covers. She gradually moved along the bed until she could curl against his side. Xander's movements stopped instantly as she touched him, relaxing and moving more into her, even as she wrapped her arms around his middle.

His eyes opened slowly, as he turned his head to find her looking back up at him from his shoulder. A hand came up as he met her eyes, and combed through her hair, settling it along her spine, before the fingers stopped at the small of her back to run along the warm skin it found there. She settled more comfortably, and he just nodded, pulling her to him and settling down into the pillows. He reached up with his other hand to a sheath mounted on the headboard, and touched the handle of his wand. Leave them open, she whispered, he cocked his head in a question, They'll have to learn anyway...

Alright, he replied, nodding, if that's what you want.

She gave him a shy smile and nodded into his chest, I'm happy.

7:10 am

A loud buzzing noise shattered the peaceful silence of one of the sixth year Gryffindor boys' dorm rooms. With the accompaniment of a loud groan, a pillow shot out from behind closed curtains and sent the alarm spiraling down to the slate floor where it shattered with a loud crunch. A minute passed, then two, before a set of curtains were thrown back, and a muttering, blinking, tousled-haired sixteen-year-old stood and bent over beside at the foot of his bed to dig through a trunk.

A faint giggle came from behind him, and he turned, his eyes still cloudy with sleep. "Nice boxers, Elliot," a laughing soprano snorted from across the room.

"Oh hi, Em," Elliot replied pleasantly and turned back to his trunk. He started to dig through it, looking for a clean robe... "SHIT," he snapped as he straightened suddenly and rapped his head on the corner of the trunk lid, "EM," he snapped, spinning back as other curtains were thrown back at his exclamation, "you aren't supposed to be up here..."

Emilia shrugged and slipped from the covers, pausing as she sat on the edge of the bed, to half twist back to kiss Xander. He smiled as he half-woke and looked up at her with sleepy eyes. She stood and stretched, the movement pulling up her top enough to expose the green jewel decorating her navel. Bob looked at her blearily as he peered out from his bed, "Bloody hell, woman."

Emilia let her arms down and glared at him. Daniel Kirkpatrick, the only member of this particular dorm room who was not dating or related, somehow, to the large clan-like group that the surviving Gryffindors from seventeen years ago had formed, slid out from under the covers in only a pair of boxers. "Hey, Em," he greeted, and grabbed a towel from his trunk and headed past her to the boys' showers.

"Wait, Dan," Xander called just as the brown-haired boy reached out for the handle of the door. Xander sat up, and glanced up to Emilia, "Listen, if this bothers any of you..."

"I'm cool," Daniel replied, he turned and slowly scanned his eyes up and down Emilia, she laughed faintly and did a slow pirouette, "She's a hell of a lot better to look at then you blokes. As long as you two close the curtains when you shag..."

"Hell with that," Bob called from across the room, waggling his eyebrows lasciviously, "She's hot, I think that we all could use a show..."

"BOB," three male voices growled, threateningly, only Emilia laughed, though a faint dusting of color filled her cheeks.

"Do you want me to prance around in my bra and knickers, too, Robert," she replied, her voice dropping a half register, as she stuck a pose, "I have this nice, Gryffindor colored set that Xander likes a lot."

"Oh, would you?" he replied, and stopped as Xander let out a faint growl. Emilia gave him a look and he shrugged an apology to Bob. "No worries, mate, I was just joshing..."

"We know, Bob," Emilia said, sitting on the bed next to Xander. She looked back at him, and reached back, absently pulling at the tail she had kept her hair in over the night, as much to keep it from smothering Xander, as to keep it under some semblance of control. She bit her lip and took his hand, before looking at the rest of the boys. "Xander and I have...trouble sleeping apart," Emilia began slowly, "It's...really, uncomfortable."

"Alright," Elliot said, shrugging and grabbing his robe, Emilia looked to him, "I was just surprised a bit this morning. I've known you as long as I can remember; you sleeping in the same room doesn't bother me."

"I'm cool with it, though I am looking forward to the bra and knickers," Bob put in, and barely fielded the pillow that she flung at him from the head of Xander's bed.

"I'm the only one here who has only known you for six years," Dan put in. "As long as you guys don't mind if I bring up Chastity occasionally, I don't give a damn. At least you don't stink up the place like these guys." He shrugged and headed out of the room with a jaunty wave and a towel tossed over his shoulder.

Emilia grinned and looked towards the door, smiling faintly as she shook her head ruefully. She looked up as Bob looked at her thoughtfully, "Yes, Bob?"

"You don't happen to have that Gryffindor set on now do you?"

Emilia snorted and walked towards the door, headed to her own room, and her clothes, "No, Bob," she replied as she reached the door and looked back, "It's only me under my pajamas." She blew a kiss to Xander and vanished, closing the door with a soft thump behind her. As one Bob and Elliot looked to Xander. He just smiled, an almost predatory smile, and started digging through his trunk for a reasonably clean uniform to wear.

A/N There you go, next chapter a bit of repeated history.

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15. A Window to the Past

A/N: Yep, I'm still here. Thanks as usual to Lady Starlight for her work on this chapter.
Chapter 14: A Window to the Past.
***************************Godric's Hollow******************************

September 19, 2015.
7:30 am

Harry grinned to himself as he walked into his bedroom, a tray hovering at his side. He paused, and gestured for the tray to loiter at the side of the bed, while he stood, watching. Hermione squirmed in her sleep, reaching for him, and muttering something as she moved enough to shrug aside the sheets covering her. Harry slipped to the bed, brushing aside the still-hovering tray and sat next to her, on the other side of the bed from where he normally slept.

For the trillionth time, his heart flopped contently as she turned towards him, still asleep, and reached unerringly for his hand. He let her take it as he slowly ran the fingers of his free hand down the side of her face, tucking rebellious strands of curly hair behind her ears. He let his fingers trace down her neck and along her side, lingering on the side of a breast before he let them trace back upwards.

Hermione opened her eyes and looked at him, Hi.

Hello, Mione, Harry said quietly as he bent down and kissed her, before twisting enough to retrieve the still obediently hovering tray. Happy Birthday, Love, he added as she sat up, and he set the tray astride her lap.

Hermione patted the bed next to her, scooting over just enough to make space for him and waited as he settled in next to her on top of the blankets. She bent her head to the side and kissed him before she took a bite of the bacon on the plate. Hermione took a drink of her juice, and set the glass down before letting her head loll over onto his shoulder. She looked down as her fingers lightly traced over his jeans, You got dressed, she pouted faintly.

Hermione looked up at him, fluttering her lashes over chocolate eyes. Harry snorted, and kissed her nose. "Trying to rob the cradle again?"

"I suppose that I could trade you in for a younger model," she retorted, banishing the tray to sit precariously across a chair. Hermione crawled out from under the covers and slipped astride his lap, sighing softly as she passed to indulge in a slow rub along him. Harry grunted quietly before he kissed her quickly. She pulled back a couple of inches to rest her brow against his.

Hermione reached up and pushed dark fringe out of his eyes, clearing the green pools she fell asleep to and woke to every day. "Happy Anniversary, Harry," Hermione breathed, "I love you...even if you are delaying my obligatory anniversary shagging."

Harry grinned. His fingers trailed down her side to slowly run down between them, and let them linger there for a moment, not moving as Hermione arched into him automatically. He let them slide back out to cup her arse, and she sighed disappointedly. "Trust me, baby," Harry said quietly, "It's much worse on my end." He took a breath, calming himself, even as Hermione's fingers slipped down between them and started to undo his jeans. "I had this...idea," he said, his voice suddenly strangled as her fingers slipped inside his jeans to find that he had not yet managed to find any boxers.

She ran her fingers lightly along him, grinning as he stood to attention, before she slowly slid down his body, to sit astride his knees. She bent down, curling on herself and paused, her face just shy of his lap and looked up with her eyes. "Uh hummm?" she murmured, as she licked her lips and slowly lowered her head.

"I...uh," Harry swallowed, distracted by a warm gust of breath south of his waistline, "thought that...if you want to, we, could, uhh...repeat that first day we were, uh..." Hermione nodded, as she let her tongue flicked out like a cat and he shuddered. "M...married."

"Sounds great," Hermione giggled, and cocked her head slightly, "What's the catch?"

"Our kids will be there..." he whispered as her tongue flicked out again, "It's...a...Hogsmeade wee...weekend."

"They'll just have to suffer, then," Hermione replied, and took a breath, "You deserve a reward for such a good idea." She let her head fall fully and Harry gasped as she started to demonstrate just how good an idea she thought that really was.

***************************Hogsmeade******************************

10:00 am

Emilia laughed as she ducked a swipe from Rain, and spun back behind Xander as the other black-haired girl glowered at her and sniffed loudly. She grabbed Justin's hand and stomped off, her nose slightly up in the air. He looked back towards the thick crowd of their friends and shrugged, hiding his grin as Rain pretended that she did not have a cat's tail pushing up the back of her short skirt. "I owed you, Rain," Emilia hollered after her.

"I think it's rather sexy, actually," Justin whispered in Rain's ear, stopping and pulling her to him. She grinned at him and leaned up to kiss him, extending one hand behind her with a single finger raised as wolf-whistles broke out from behind them. Rain rocked back onto her heels and wrapped both of her arms around Justin's right one.

"Let's go, honey," she said, leading him down the street, towards the main part of the town. A sparkling line reached after her, and the tail rapidly shrunk back into her. Anastasia slipped her wand back into a small of the back sheath and rolled her eyes.

"All she had to do was fully transform to her cat form and back," Anastasia said with a slight shake of her head. She leaned against Nathan as he wrapped his arm around her waist, and ran his fingers along the bare skin of her waist, exposed under the short shirt she was wearing over her jeans. "It's not like she wasn't one since she got her period..."

"EW..." a half dozen boys, who had already faced dark wizards, werewolves and other dark foes, cringed.

The girls shared a quick eyeroll before they broke, heading rapidly towards the town, pulling on their male counterparts and leading them down the main high street. Almost immediately Abigail pulled on Elliot's hand, tugging him towards the entrance to Honeydukes and he followed, his eyes already on a display of Fudgy Feldersnaps in the window.

Behind them, lagging behind Xander and Emilia, Nathan and Anastasia, and Rain and Justin, Harriet was walking slowly, her eyes wide and staring. Sirius stopped as Bob and some tiny, blonde Hufflepuff that he was dating this week, passed by on the way to the Three Broomsticks. She giggled as he murmured something in her ear and squirmed under his arm around her shoulder. "What's wrong, Harriet?" Sirius asked, turning to her, a faint glimmer of concern in his eyes.

She frowned and shrugged, "Hogsmeade was mostly destroyed in the other place...only a few people still lived there. There is so much...life here, all these people." She looked around, "It's odd...I suppose," she slipped her hands into the pockets of her jeans, hunching her shoulders, "Can you show me around...all of these places are rubble in the other place." Harriet looked after Emilia and the others, who were laughing, most of them ensconced in their significant other's arms.

"Sure," Sirius said automatically, as if the very thought that he would not was unconscionable. "What do you want to see?"

"I don't know," Harriet replied with a shrug, she looked down the street to find Emilia snogging Xander in the street in front of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, a set of automatically triggered Whizbangs were exploding unheeded over their heads, spelling out, "Snog Alert...Get a Room," and other telling phrases. "Em is going to be busy, I suppose."

"Are you hungry?" Sirius asked, shrugging.

"Not really," Harriet shrugged, and watched as several third years scampered out of Honeydukes with bags of treats, and ran giggling towards the Three Broomsticks, turning just in time to miss plowing over their Head Students as they paused in the doorway to examine each other's oral hygiene. "I never got a chance to go to the Twins' shop in Diagon Alley...maybe we could go there?" she asked almost timidly. Sirius nodded and started towards the shop halfway down the street.

He stopped after several paces and looked back, and waved her forward. Harriet graced him with a faint grin and hurried up to his side. They walked in silence down the street, stopping before the entrance to the store. Sirius opened the door for her and waited as she passed through, before following.

Immediately they ducked as a pair of fluorescent orange bats swooped through the air, and exploded into confetti, dusting Harriet's hair with tiny gold flakes. "OI, HARRIET, SIRIUS," George's voice boomed from across the room as he moved out from behind a babbling bunch of baboons-also known as this year's third year Gryffindor class-and walked to the door. The third years continued to jostle each other at the counter, as they tried to pay for their purchases. The counter worker, a young witch that neither Sirius nor Harriet knew, gave George a glare before returning to the maelstrom that was the first Hogsmeade weekend at the shop. "How is my favorite niece?" he asked as he swept Harriet into a hug and swung her around.

"Uncle George," Harriet started.

"I'm Fred..."

"No, you're George," Harriet said with assertion and looked at him, "am I really your favorite niece?"

"At the very least, you are my favorite here," he replied with a grin, she smiled at him, and then he looked over at Sirius, "You are treating my niece right, aren't you, Sirius?"

"Umm, I guess," Sirius replied, slightly confused. He half spun to the side as another student pushed though with an armload of Grab-Bag-Surprises, and a muttered, "Sorry." Sirius followed the Slytherin fifth year with a faint glower that did not go unnoticed by the tallest redhead in the room, as the student had bumped Harriet as well. "I was showing Harriet around." Harriet gave a small, agreeing nod and took an unconscious step to Sirius' side, close enough that no one would push through easily.

"Excellent," George replied with a faint twinkle in his eye, "in that case, follow me, I have a couple of things that I'd love to show family." He laughed quietly, as he held aside a curtain marked "Staff Only" and ushered them through.

On the main street of the Wizarding town, still the only totally Wizarding village in Britain, though technically once could call Godric's Hollow totally Wizarding as well these days, another pair walked along the High Street. In appearance, if one did not know better, they could have been graduates only a few years out of Hogwarts. Their dress was the same, more or less, as many of the students. The young woman was in worn, low-riding jeans and a black top that let an inch or so of skin show above her hips, and the young man in jeans and a dark grey shirt with a small, subdued lion logo on one side of his chest. It was their walk, the slight predatory lilt to their movements that distinguished them more than anything, the total confidence that was unconsciously displayed in contrast to the occasionally tentative steps of the majority of the crowd.

They paused in their slow progress down the street, and she giggled as wandering hands found her bum for an instant before she spun and pulled him back against the outer wall of Gladrags, and his head down to hers. He murmured something against her lips and she laughed, before darting one hand into the front pocket of his jeans to grab several Galleons. "Is that all I am, your walking, talking purse?" Harry teased quietly.

"No," she kissed his nose, "you also do an outstanding job standing in for that little toy that Tonks got me for my birthday last year when it runs out of charge." She laughed as he lunged at her, and let herself be pulled back.

"I do, huh?"

"Adequate," she murmured, meeting his eyes over the tops of his glasses, which were fallen to the tip of his nose and fogged up with her breath. She sighed quietly and let her head drop to his shoulder as long fingers traced patterns on the small of her back. I love you, Harry, she added silently, and kissed his neck.

Eighteen years, Hermione. She bit her lip and nodded against his shoulder. Have I thanked you lately for keeping me sane, all these years?

She pulled back and reached up, brushing his fringe back from his scar, before she lifted slightly on her toes to kiss it, It's twenty four, Harry...I should have finished that sentence first year.

Harry chucked softly and took her hand, stepping back, "What do we need the cash for, Mione?" He held the door open for her, letting her into Gladrags, with an unthinking casual ease, as if he knew where she would step before she did. Hermione shrugged and stopped before a table of ties and started rummaging through them, occasionally holding one up to him.

"You need a new tie, you caught that last one on fire," she replied as she held up a deep blue one to him, shook her head, and set it back on the table.

"That was not my fault," Harry objected mildly and dropped his head slightly at a look from her, "Alright, a little, but how was I to know that he breathed fire?"

Hermione smirked and kissed him, before holding up a black silk tie with a faint green shimmer, from tiny threads woven through the weave. "This will do," she said as she took it to the counter, and paid. A causal flick of her wrist vanished it with a POP, and she returned to her husband who was watching the proceedings with thinly veiled amusement. She looked down at her watch as she held the door for him, letting him slide out into the bustling street. Her hand found his as he stopped to wave idly at Abigail, who reached up, a ways up for her, and rapped Elliot on the side of the head. He looked down at her, and then over at Harry and Hermione, before he waved as well.

Where are our kids? Harry muttered as they started towards the bookshop, a brief contented memory of the first time they had gone in their after their wedding, flicking across their minds. Hermione looked over at him, Yes, I still love your arse...in every way you could take that statement.

She grinned, and let him let her into the bookstore. Immediately, as if she were really trying to repeat history, Hermione started to climb a tall ladder to the loft where rare and valuable tomes were kept. Harry leaned against a bookshelf and idly compared the fit of her jeans to another pair eighteen years ago, and found no noticeable difference to his discerning eye. Yep, still do.

I'm glad, though, honestly, I do believe that you are a touch biased, Hermione replied, letting her mind mesh with his as she started to look though books to find one on magical signature recognition. Em's outside near the Three Broomsticks, with Rain and Xander, Sirius and...Harriet are nearly at the...Shrieking Shack.

Oh really, Harry replied and looked up at her from the floor below, watching as the emerald glow faded from her eyes as she pulled back her magic to be replaced with a knowing glint. Sirius is being a good...host, I suppose.

They are just friends, Harry, Hermione replied as she found A Field Guide to Tracking and Containment, and tucked it under her arm. She looked to each side, and found no one looking at her, before she vaulted the loft railing, dropping the ten feet easily, and walking up to Harry.

We were friends, Mione.

You still are my best friend, Harry.

My point exactly, he retorted and took her book from her, combining it with A Flash of Steel, by Wendel Pointiguard and setting the pair on the counter. Harry signed an account chit, and briefly reflected on why they had a direct account with every bookstore in magical England, but did not with most of the clothiers. He tapped the books with his wand they disappeared with a POP, to end up on the Library table at Godric's Hollow. "Hungry?"

"Sure," Hermione took his hand again as they moved out into the street, and meandered towards the Three Broomsticks. She stopped for a moment and perched on a thick railing that was still used to tether magical steeds. A pegasi sniffed at her and returned to a bag of oats tied to the post. "Come here, Harry."

He smirked faintly as he nudged aside her knees to step between then. He leaned in, and felt her sigh contently as she let his tongue dance with hers. Long fingers slowly threaded through her hair, holding her to him, even as her own hands, started to run along the hem of his shirt, to sneak up the back. "MUM, DAD," an exasperated groan cut across the street and Hermione languidly pulled back slightly from Harry, and pulled his head down to her shoulder, as she let her eyes cut over to her right, where she could see, standing in the street and obviously headed for the Three Broomsticks as they, themselves had been, her daughter wearing a faintly mortified look.

Behind Emilia, who was clutching Xander's hand rather tightly, Rain was laughing, covering her face with her hands, "Hello, Emilia," Hermione said brightly, even as Harry laughed silently into the skin of her neck.

"Mum," Emilia repeated, exasperatedly, "you and Dad are..."

"Hungry," Harry finished for her, and stood back from Hermione. He lifted her off the rail with his hands on her hips, before turning and sliding his arm around her waist, "we were just going to the Three Broomsticks, would you like to join your old, decrepit parents?" He looked past Emilia to Rain and Justin, the rest having wandered off, "You would be welcome as well."

Rain looked at Emilia; then at Justin, "We would be honored." She gave Harry a small curtsey and he laughed. Emilia sighed quietly and rolled her eyes, before following her parents and her friends into the Wizarding pub.

Harry led Hermione to a corner booth and scooted in, waiting as Hermione slipped in next to him. She dropped her head to his shoulder, and Emilia dropped into the bench aside from them. The rest of the kids slipped in next to them. A moment later Elliot and Abby came in the door, with Shin following her, and lugging a Honeydukes sack as big as she was.

Hermione looked around the table, finding almost every kid that spent at least some of their summer at Godric's Hollow, "Are you lot having a good time?" Emilia gave her a small smirking roll of her eyes, and then marked a tally in the air.

"It's great," Shin replied from her seat next to Abigail. Abigail looked over at her, and her hair rapidly changed color from bright chartreuse, to a blue-black, matching her friend's. Blue eyes darkened to black, as she reverted to her 'native' form.

"Wotcher," Abigail, added, wrapping both arms around Elliot's arm, "It's been terrific. It's so nice..." Elliot blushed faintly as she looked up at him, and Harry snorted faintly.

"What are you doing in town, Mum, Dad?" Emilia asked.

"We are celebrating our Anniversary, Em..." Hermione said, and looked up at Harry, a soft look crossing her eyes for a beat.

"And your mother's birthday," Harry added pointedly, turning and kissing her cheek. Emilia's eyes glanced to Harry and she gave him a small, slightly abashed look. She stood from her seat at the end of the bench and moved to her mother.

"Happy birthday, Mum," Emilia said quietly, throwing her arms around Hermione and kissing her cheek. Hermione nodded and kissed her back, pausing to run her fingers through her daughter's hair. "I'm sorry," she whispered in Hermione's ear.

"I understand, dear," Hermione muttered back, kissing the top of her hair and letting her go. "Can I talk to you?" Emilia nodded, and waited as Hermione shared a quick, silent conversation with Harry, even as she glanced back at Xander. Emilia followed Hermione back outside, and stopped next to the door, moving out to the side. Hermione looked over at her daughter, "How are you doing, Em?"

Emilia shrugged, "I'm sneaking into the boys dorm every night, Mum," she admitted with a shrug. "Dumbledore never gave us this 'grand solution' he was supposed to."

"He's like that, Em...never wants to give a solution. Makes you find your own," Hermione replied, watching as several older students, probably sixth or seventh years, that she did not recognize walked past, chattering loudly amongst themselves. "You know that your dad and I will support you, what ever it takes, even if your dad has to be 'Lord Gryffindor' to the Hogwarts' Governors."

"I know, Mum," she looked sideways at her mother, "What would you and Dad have done?"

Hermione smiled faintly, "If we weren't such blind, scared idiots fifth year, and if other things hadn't happened, the next..." she sighed, "We'd have been really practiced with silencing charms, I'm sure."

"I don't need details of your sordid sex lives, Mum," Emilia objected, laughing softly despite herself. Emilia shrugged, "I need him, mum, I can get through the day without him, I mean he's there in the back of my mind, if not directly in contact. But if I try to go to sleep...I just can't even breathe..."

Hermione moved to sit down on a bench, and motioned for Emilia to join her. She waited and then pulled Emilia to her. Neither of them cared about the odd looks the pair occasionally got from random passing Hogwarts students, as Hermione paused, running her fingers through the raven version of her own hair, "When it happened with your Dad and I...honestly, I never really questioned it, it seemed so natural. Almost from the day I met him, or so it seems, that we knew what each other was thinking, could sense each other's emotions with just a look. Even I never really studied it, I just accepted it. It was only later, when we had a touch of leisure to do so that I looked into it."

Emilia cocked her head, questioningly. Hermione took a breath, "The telepathy is almost a side effect, honestly, even though it seems to sometimes be the foremost. Your magic is one, really, feeds on each other's, it builds on each others'. Your magic is tied to emotion, beyond anything that they will ever admit publicly up the hill," she waved towards Hogwarts. "As to why you can't sleep, I've been bound with your father, fully, for eighteen years, and I still can't hardly stand to be apart from him...Your souls are literally bonded, Em, when you sleep, or try to, the conscious separation, that you normally maintain during your waking hours collapses, they want to be with the other, the closer the better. It's the same thing, frankly, that happens when you make love," Emilia blushed faintly, and even Hermione paused for a beat. "From what I can tell, that is usually the final trigger for the full bonding, though your Dad and I went with the more eventful option."

Emilia smiled slightly, "Don't we always?"

"Yeah," Hermione snorted, "we do..." she stood and pulled her daughter to her feet with one hand, "we better get back and save your father." Emilia smiled and followed Hermione back into the pub, and a tiny part of her mind sighed in relief as she stepped around a tall wizard, and found Xander's eyes looking for her.

A bit over a kilometer or two away, Sirius stood next to an old, rusted barbed wire fence looking in towards a dilapidated house, its doors and windows mostly boarded over, and creaking loudly in the faint breeze off the mountains. He stepped forward and rested his hands on the top of a twisted piece of wood serving as a fencepost, before he looked over to his right.

Harriet was looking at the Shrieking Shack, her eyes wide and unblinking. He stepped from the fence as she wrapped her arms around herself and shivered in the midst of the warm, late September sunshine. She looked up slowly from the broken house, and Sirius took another step to her, before she whimpered faintly and flung her arms around him. Sirius' arms closed around her automatically, even as she continued to shiver. "Are you alright, Harriet?" Sirius asked as his hand bushed a bit of skin at her waist to find her ice cold.

"Can...can we go, Sirius?" she whispered, "I...I'll stay if you...." Sirius looked around quickly, tightened his arms around her, and they vanished with a quiet POP.

They reappeared in a secluded corner of the alley next to WWW, and Harriet looked up at him, "Thank you...there was...too much sadness there..." she stepped back a step, her back hitting lightly against the back wall of the store. "I'm sorry, Sirius," she whispered as she slid to the ground, and pulled her knees up to her chest.

"What happened?" Sirius asked, crouching down in front of her. His hand slipped out, stopping just shy of her knee, before it landed on the pavement next to him, ostensibly to steady him.

Harriet looked at him, sighed; then dropped her eyes to the ground, staring at a crumpled copy of the Prophet, where the Seeker from the Hogshead Harpies blinked out from a cover story about his infidelities. "I can see things, Sirius, sometimes...sometimes the future, or what it could be rather...and sometimes...the past....there was a lot of pain there...I could have pushed it onto you, but I'd never do that." Her eyes watered slightly at her whispered admission and Sirius swallowed heavily.

"Let's go get something to eat," he said, standing easily and reaching down to grab Harriet's hand. He pulled her to her feet, and started towards the High Street. They paused as they regained the street and looked up and down it, finding, finally, Hermione and Emilia walking back into the Three Broomsticks. Sirius let her hand drop as he started towards the pub, and looked back to find her looking at him, with an almost wistful expression. "You alright there, Harriet?" he asked.

"I'm cool," she said, jolting into motion as she moved towards the pub in his wake.

Harry just crooked his eyebrow at his wife, as the pair slipped into the Three Broomsticks, and looked around. She shrugged, a soft twinkle dancing in the corner of her eye before she hid it and waved the pair over. Rosmerta caught her eye and sent a barmaid over with a pair of butterbeers, that she set down on the table before Sirius and Harriet could even get across the room in the crowded bar. "Hi, Mum," Sirius said with only the faintest trace of wariness in his voice. "Thanks, Ellie," he added almost absently to the eighteen-year-old girl that Rosmerta had delivering drinks these days. She gave him a winsome smile and head back towards the bar. Emilia hid a grin at the faint trace of annoyance that seemed to dance in grey eyes for just a fleeting beat.

Emilia pushed at Xander, scooting him over to clear a space for the pair, and waited as Harriet sat next to her, "Where have you two been?" she asked, speaking a touch louder to clear the noise of the pub. Hermione's hand flashed and the noise suddenly muted, and Emilia went on in a more normal tone, "We've been all around the village..."

Sirius took a drink and turned his head, to regard his sister, "Since you lot were so involved in examining each other's tonsils, we looked around a bit..."

"I asked Sirius to show me around," Harriet put in, her words stepping over the tail of Sirius', "It's so, different, than it was there." A faint frown, "Though I should have..."

"Should have asked if we could look up at the caves," Sirius interjected, and Harriet looked over at him, her eyes widening a trace. She almost jumped at the hand that slipped down and grabbed her knee under the table, but kept from visibly reacting as he went on. "We thought about going up to the Shack, but that's pretty boring, really."

He's lying, Hermione muttered to Harry, even as she nodded to her son's comments. He's protecting her.

You aren't Legilimencing our kids are you, Hermione? Harry replied quietly.

I'm his mother, Harry, Hermione shot back and sent the impression of a shrug across their link, Sorry, Baby...something happened, though. She nodded, "Be careful if you do, some of those aren't the most stable."

"Alright, Mum," Sirius sighed, and Hermione smiled contently, waving to the bar girl to order their food.

***************************Black Manor********************************

1:11 am

A blank stretch of wall, damp and with greenish splotches of mold and a few darker stains, shuddered in place in the center of the expansive catacombs under the former Malfoy Manor. A soft, groaning sound cut the air as the stones making up the wall jumped out of the way to form a rough doorway. The movement of the stones revealed a black tunnel, and a single cloaked figure moved into the dimly lit room.

The figure moved quickly towards the opposite wall, covered from floor to ceiling with wooden racks holding innumerable bottles of various vintages, many of which were older than any of the current occupants of the house. The witch moved to the very end of the rack and reached down, grabbing and twisting a dusty bottle of a rather poor vintage, a Monte Blanc 1912 that no one would drink if they had a choice. A faint click came from behind the wall, and the witch moved to the other side and reached up, stretching to turn another bottle of the same vintage.

She took a step back as the center of the rack pivoted outwards towards her, and a shimmering field flickered and vanished. A blank granite wall was left behind, inscribed with a series of sickly-green runes set in a horseshoe. She stepped to the wall and reached into the depths of her robe, extracting a dark wand. She ran the tip along the palm of her left hand, giggling faintly as dark pools of red bubbled up around the tip.

She leaned forward and smeared a long trace of blood in the center of the horseshoe and stepped back. The smear of blood oozed, evaporating back into the wall, and nothing happed for a moment. The runes turned a bright red and the bit of wall outlined by them shimmered and vanished.

Hanging in the hole revealed by the vanished wall, lit by a sourceless red light, a long dagger hovered point down. The guard was made of three serpents, twisted together with their open, fanged mouths forming the pommel. Their tails came down to form a Gordian knot at the base of the blade. The blade itself was the darkest black, serrated and double edged, and coming to a double point like a snake's tongue.

The intruder pulled a long, wood box from her robes and pulled the dagger from its resting spot, and setting it in the box. She giggled again, darkly, before she stepped back and let the wine rack return to its former location. A moment later she slipped out the entrance and it collapsed back as it had been, leaving no trace of her presence, nor of what she had taken.

A/N There you go, next chapter, the darkness comes home. For those that don't recognize the chapter title, it's the title of the first "H/Hr" song from the movies, the one where she finds him after he overhears McGonagall, Fudge and Rosmerta talking about Sirius betraying Harry's Parents.

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16. Chapter 15: A Step into Darkness

A/N: Ok, ladies and gentlemen, this is your last fix until I get back, I'll be off on vacation for a few days. So....You got sex. Thanks as usual to Lady Starlight for her most excellent splendiferous work on this chapter.

Chapter 15: A Step into Darkness
************************Hogwarts***********************************
September 25, 2015
11:15 pm

Anastasia laughed as Nathan slipped out of a concealed passage next to her, and grabbed her around the middle, spinning her into a small alcove, one of thousands, lining the halls of Hogwarts. She bit her lip as she backed all the way into the hidden nook, and pulled Nathan in tight against her. She grinned as she cocked her head to the side, and a flicker of light lit sapphire eyes from the outside in as she pulled his lips down to hers.

She glanced down as she felt his hands on her bum, her skirt pushed up in the back, "We," she sighed, as he lowered his lips to the bare skin of her throat, her hair was pulled back into a thick tail, easing his access. "We..." she murmured as she felt his fingers tangling in the sides of her knickers, "really need to get this round d...done."

"Why, Luv?" he muttered, and slowly worked her tie loose, until it the knot hung halfway down her chest. His eyes held hers, liquid silver in the light from the periodic flickering torches lighting the walls, as he slowly popped the first three buttons of her blouse, pushing the fabric aside until her could see the top of a red lace bra. "If we can't abuse our privileges...who can?"

"That didn't make a bloody bit of sense," Anastasia murmured, she gasped as his fingers crept around her front, and lightly danced across the front of her knickers. "We really can't do this here, Nate..." she objected even though her eyes belied her words. She took a breath as he worked her even further back into the alcove, almost all the way behind a fifteenth-century set of plate armor, when a shriek sounded, cutting across the still of the night.

Nathan glanced at her, and then spun out of her arms, sprinting towards the sound with her on her heels. His wand fell into his hand as he moved, flicking his wrist and catching it on the move, the skill practiced innumerable times. The shriek came again, and then fell silent. He did not look back as he heard her footsteps following behind him.

Nathan stopped as he reached a corner. He held up a hand to her, and poked his head around it, then darted it back. "There's a open classroom door down there, it was locked when we came through that way," he muttered. She nodded, and took a breath before she
kicked off her polished uniform shoes, leaving her feet bare...and more importantly silent. She took another breath before she darted out from the corner, to slide behind a suit of armor about halfway down the hall. She held her wand around the suit with one hand as she waved Nathan forward.

He ran past her, to stop at the doorway of the open classroom. His head darted around the doorjamb, and pulled it back. "Come on," he mouthed to Anastasia. She sprinted past him, stopped with the soft thump of her back on the stone of the wall. She looked over at him, nodded once and rolled around the doorframe moving to her right as she went in. Nathan slipped in and moved left. She flicked her wand in a circle above her head and the room was instantly bathed in a bright white light from a basketball-sized glowing orb hanging at the ceiling.

"Anna," he snapped from over behind a large Professors' desk. She ran to his side, her heart in her throat at his tone, to find Chastity Turner, a sixth year Gryffindor, crumpled on the floor. Her dark blonde hair was stained with red, and a thin stream of blood ran down her cheek to her ear from her hairline. The sleeve of her Muggle jumper was torn, and she had lost one trainer, exposing a brightly striped sock on her left foot as it stuck out from under the hem of her jeans. "You know her?" Nathan asked as he set a silver jet from his wand to Dumbledore.

Anastasia looked up from where she was checking for a pulse. She sighed softly as she found a strong, if slow one, and looked back up at her boyfriend, "Yeah, she's in Em's year, she's in the room next to Em's...I think she's dating one of Xander's roommates. Her name's Chastity." Nathan nodded and slowly looked around the room. He walked over to a desk set against a wall and knelt down, to pick up her wand. He held it up and Anastasia nodded.

The sound of running feet came from the corridor and a beat later several newcomers crowded into the classroom which was used these days for Advanced Muggle Studies along with a couple of other classes. Dumbledore looked to them, as Madame Pomfrey pushed Anastasia out of her way and started to work on the girl. Dumbledore looked down at Anastasia, she blushed faintly as she realized the state of her uniform, but Dumbledore only twinkled at her for a brief instant before his expression became grave. "Miss Granger?"

"We were finishing our rounds a corridor over when we heard her...or someone, I guess scream. By the time we got here, there was no one else here."

Dumbledore nodded and turned to Poppy, Anastasia took the time to button at least one button, enough to hide the color of her bra, finishing just as her Head of House, and his wife, who had been comfortably sitting in his lap reading a text when the call arrived, came in on the run. Parvati instantly went over to see if she could help Poppy, while Neville went to Dumbledore and the Heads. "Filius is not in the castle, Albus, now that I think about it, I think that he said that it being a Friday he had to go to London and was going to stay until Sunday," Neville explained.

"Yes," Dumbledore replied, slightly preoccupied as he watched Parvati conjure a stretcher and levitate the girl onto it. "He did mention that to me." The stretcher floated past him with the pair of Healers in attendance, and he took Chastity's wand from Nathan. A touch of his wand to hers, and a small, blue half bubble appeared in the air before it vanished with a faint pop. "She seems to have last cast a Protego," Dumbledore mentioned softly before he looked to the Heads. "I think that we have this in hand, at least for now, you may return to your dorm now...Miss Granger, if you can contact Mr. Kirkpatrick, and tell him that he does not need to worry, Miss Turner is under Madame Pomfrey's exceptional care."

Anastasia nodded, and grabbed Nathan's hand, pulling him along with her. He started to say something as they stepped out, until she elbowed him discretely. They moved down the hall, stopping for a second for her to grab her shoes, before they continued on down the hall. Anastasia looked back before touching a very slightly jutting stone and stepping into the passage that appeared with a faint grinding sound. She stopped Nathan from speaking with a glance, and flicked her wand around her. A shimmering cone appeared, walling them in, and Anastasia let out a breath that she had been unconsciously holding.

"We need to contact Hermione," she said quickly, "something is wrong."

"Just 'cause there was a girl hurt...Not everything is a great overarching evil, Anna," he objected with a shrug. "It could have been some random Slytherin trying to Jinx her, and she fell and hit her head, it happens."

"Do you actually believe that?" she growled, dropping one hand to her hip and looking up at him with a dark look dancing in the corner of her eyes. He sighed and shook his head, and she gave him a smile, leaning up to kiss his cheek. "We need to get a message to Hermione, we should be alright if we use the mirrors in secure mode."

***************************Hogwarts*****************************

September 26, 2015
1:30 pm

Hermione watched with a thoughtful expression on her face as a dozen black blurs shot overhead, and then scattered as the Gryffindor team settled into their practice regimen. Emilia snapped past the stand, directly in pursuit of a small, golden ball, and Hermione turned from the scene towards Harry who was watching his daughter as she snap-rolled to the right to avoid a Bludger and dove almost straight down after the Snitch. She vanished into the trench surrounding the Pitch and Harry looked back to Hermione.

There's something going on, Harry, she said softly, even though defensive wards surrounded them, established reflexively as she sat, and that their mental communication was impervious beyond any sane measure. I know that Dumbledore said that he was looking into it...but I...

I know, Mione, he replied, and looked over at her as she stood and moved to sit next to him, his arm went around her automatically, and felt her tiny flinch as she watched a Bludger glance off Sirius's leg. Down on the grass of the pitch, Harriet reacted much more visibly, lifting both of her hands to her face as she gasped, taking a step forward towards the northern set of hoops and stopping as he waved. Harry grinned over at Hermione and she punched his arm, grinning all the while. Her grin faded slightly, and Harry leaned over to kiss the top of her head. Still thinking Christmas?

Yeah, she replied almost absently, I guess...though he is your son, he is pretty blind.

Thanks, dear, Harry sighed, and she giggled in the back of his head. We should trust Dumbledore to take care of it, Hermione.

I know you, Harry, I know that you don't believe that...She looked over as the Weasley twins, Virginia and fulfilling the cosmic obligation of yet another generation of Weasleys to knock a small iron ball back and forth, flew overhead, and shot towards Sirius hovering near the hoops.

Yeah...I don't, he admitted, I'd like too...but I'm not eleven anymore. Hermione nodded, and reached up to pick at his hair, watching her fingers as they fixed his collar, where it had twisted under itself. Do you want to stay to talk to the kids?

Nah, let's just go, I guess, we can be back in a second if needed.

Harry grabbed her and they vanished, with none of the kids the wiser.

***************************Somewhere Else******************************

Luna sighed and sat down heavily in front of a smoking cauldron. She buried her head in her hands and sobbed softly, exhaustedly as the green potion continued to bubble. She scooted back against the wall of the dark, round room hidden at the base of Gryffindor Tower, the same room, a universe and seventeen years away, in which Hermione had destroyed the Horcrux contained in Ravenclaw's staff. In this world, in the one where one more pair of deaths among so many had crushed her soul, Hermione had just taken Harry's sword and cleaved the staff in two.

Luna slowly brought her knees up, and hugged them to her chest, not feeling or ignoring the cold stone on the back of her legs, courtesy of the uniform skirt she had slipped on this morning in a bit of whimsy. That and she had been treated to Ron's eyes going blank and she had gotten a giggle at him running into a doorway, at the sight of the blue-trimmed black wool covering her bum. She took a slow breath, as she felt Ron's presence approaching, and a soft rumble came from her left.

He stepped through an archway into the room, and stopped, looking around for his wife. Ron watched the cauldron bubble for a bit, watching the silvery vapor as it wavered and hissed as it hit the flickering torches lining the walls. He looked at the silvery cauldron, inscribed with glowing blue runes that they had recovered from a cache, known only to them, as they knew where they had hidden it in the other universe. He sighed helplessly as he found her looking up at him, her silver eyes glistening.

"R...Ronnie," she whispered, her voice broken. She watched him as he walked over to her and slid down the wall next to her. She rolled over, crawling onto his lap, and slowly burying her head in his chest. "I...can't do it...I...I'm soo tired, Ron." Ron's arms slowly wrapped around her, as he kissed the side of her head, and started to murmur in her ear. "I...I'm not smart enough...I need Hermione here, Ronald. I need my sister, Ronnie..."

He rocked her slowly as he petted her hair, letting his fingers slowly run down her spine, and back up. "You are just as smart as she is, Luna. You're brilliant, luv..." Luna shook her head forcefully without lifting it from his chest. "Yes, you are, Luna...you are the smartest...most beautiful woman here...Harriet was giving you a run for your Galleons, I admit, but you sent her to the babysitters..." Luna choked a laugh, before she snorted a quiet sob, and snuggled even more tightly into his chest.

She pulled back enough to look up at him. She slowly lifted her left hand, and stroked his cheek almost absently. Luna's gaze went vacant as she felt his stubble under her fingertips, "Ronald?" He nodded, as she continued to brush her fingers along his cheek. "After we get back...I know that we don't know what we'll do, but can we..."

"Sure," Ron smiled and bent down and kissed her, "As soon as we get home, we can get right back on that...little interrupted task." One of his hands slipped down, running along her bare thigh, "Do you want to practice?"

"Yes, silly boy, why do you think I didn't wear knickers."

Ron laughed, "I thought it was because they attracted Dorraghows?"

"No, silly, why would Hermione's Patronus come after my knickers?" She reached up and chucked him on the nose, "Especially since she knows I don't wear them half the time." She reached down and ran her fingers down his chest, before she looked up at him, and held his gaze for an instant. She smiled softly at something and nodded, before leaning up to meet his lips. Luna sighed as she let her tongue dance with his, and her eyes fall almost closed, not blocking out the wash of color that she saw when she looked towards Ron.

"Harriet was such a pretty baby," Luna mentioned, she opened her eyes and looked over Ron's shoulder. Her eyes went vacant for a beat, and she just smiled, "Blue is pretty, isn't it, Ronnie?" Ron just nodded, not quite understanding what she was saying even after nearly eighteen years of being married, or as close to it as not to matter. Luna reached down to her leg, and grabbed her wand from the sheath riding there, flicking it at her belly, Inconceivious. She moaned faintly, her eyelids flickering as the heat of the charm flushed along her nerves, before she shakily replaced the wand into its sheath. Luna rolled upright and brought the back of her left hand to her lips. She kissed the glowing stone of the Ravenclaw ring, and she and Ron vanished in a rush of wind and a fall of light.

They bounced once off a soft bed, in their hidden bedroom atop one of the great towers of Hogwarts, as a vortex of colored light spat them out. Luna fell to the side and rolled across the dark blue comforter and off, having successfully stood up to the invasion of orange into their bedroom, and came to her feet at the side of the bed. She held Ron's gaze as he rolled to his side and propped his head on one hand. She toed off the silver and blue trainers she had chosen because she liked the shimmer of the silver laces. Luna balanced on one leg, then the other, as she pulled off short white socks with embroidered cavorting weasels.

Luna's face sharpened, her attention seeming to gather from a hundred sidereal universes, to focus on Ron and he swallowed heavily. Small fingers, each nail painted a different color slowly unbuttoned her shirt, pulling it free of her skirt. She shrugged it off, leaving her in only her skirt. She shivered slightly as the cool air hit her chest, and she brought her hands up, cupping her breasts as silver eyes glinted, taking on a light of their own. Ron moaned as she ran the palms of her hands over her nipples, gasping as they tightened even further. "P...please, Luv..." Ron sputtered.

She smiled very slightly, and reached down and back. She touched a hidden catch and her skirt fell away, leaving her bare to his eyes. Luna slowly crawled forward onto the bed, pausing to push him onto his back before she maneuvered to hang over him on all fours. Luna lowered her head, pressing her lips to his, before she started to drop tiny kisses down the side of his face. She nuzzled his cheek for a bit, before she continued on, working her way down until she reached the neck of his shirt.

Luna kissed down the center of his chest, and paused as she reached a button. Ron squirmed as her teeth and tongue worked, and the button slipped back through the hole. She shook her head hard, sending bright locks out of her eyes. She looked up, holding his eyes with hers, as she undid another button, and then a second and a third. Luna reached the last button and pulled his shirt from his jeans, peeling it back and slipping it from his shoulders.

"I love you, Ronald," Luna said quietly, her voice steady. She sat up, straddling his hip, and rocked against him, smirking as she felt him straining against the fabric of his jeans. She stopped moving as her fingers traced thin scars lining his side. "How much do you love me?" she added in a small, almost childlike voice. She dropped her eyes from his, watching as the skin of his abdomen jumped at her touch.

Ron almost sighed, before reaching up and pulling her down, wrapping his arms around her and pressing her chest to his. "More and more every day, Luna," he muttered in her ear. She giggled as he let one hand come down to knead her arse. He let his fingers trail up, to tap lightly on her coccyx.

She squirmed down, taking one of his nipples between her teeth. "We can do that later, if you want, Ronald," she breathed against his skin, flicking the tip of her tongue to soothe the abraded skin. She kissed the skin directly over his heart, feeling the beat of his heart on her lips, before she sat up, and watched her own fingers as they worked the button of his jeans. She pulled his wand from a pocket in the leg of his jeans and leaned forward, giggling as her breast fell across Ron's face and he kissed it almost reflexively, as she slid the wand under their pillows.

Luna sat up and twisted, looking back towards his feet, "I don't care if you shag with your boots on, my King, but isn't it hard to get your jeans off..." She giggled as Ron hurriedly toed off his boots. They fell to the floor at the end of the bed with a loud thump, and she gripped the waist of his jeans and slowly peeled them down his legs, taking the boxers with her. She paused as his erection sprang free, to kiss the very tip, and laughed as he bucked up towards her, before she finished removing his jeans.

A quiet crash came from the corner of their room as Pigwidgeon ran into a window. Ron snorted as the bird shook its head, before taking to the sky and flying erratically out a cracked open window. Luna smiled crookedly as she stalked back up the bed on hands and knees, and lowered herself to rub against him, purring softly under her breath. "You know, Ronald," she breathed, dragging out his name as she rocked on him faster, until he stopped her movements with his hands on her hips. She pouted faintly, "I don't want to be walking, really in the morning...in fact; I don't think that we need to leave this bed until Monday."

"What about that potion?"

"It'll keep," she whispered, "I need you, Ron, please."

He kissed her, "You know you never have to ask me for that."

"I like to be polite," she whispered and sighed softly as he started to pet down along her spine. Ron tightened his arm around her and rolled them over, unconsciously careful of her. She smiled up beatifically at him, and leaned into his hand as he cupped the side of her head.

She relaxed back into the bedspread, and Ron swallowed heavily as he took in sight she presented, the faintly glowing silvery-grey eyes half-hooded as they looked back up at him, centered in a halo of golden hair. Luna stretched wantonly, lifting her arms above her head, after eighteen years, knowing quite well the effect she had on him. "Did I ever tell you thank you?" Ron said, quietly.

"For what?"

"Just thanks...for giving me Harriet..." he smirked faintly and kissed her, "for putting up with me, I'm not..."

"Shut up, Ron," Luna replied, "you are too, I wouldn't be anywhere but here."

"But I got you stuck here, if you hadn't been with me-"

"I would have died, if I wasn't with you. I need you, I don't remember when I didn't any longer." She looked down his torso, and back up to his eyes, "But if you insist on thanking me, I rather think that you should be about it."

She giggled as he kissed her, rolling all the way on top of her, and started to run his fingers along her side. She sighed, letting her eyes slip slowly closed as his fingers started to rub along the side of a breast, then up, slowly stroking along a nipple. She arched up, pressing her chest to him, as he started to work his lips down, and took the other in his lips. "Look at me," he commanded quietly, letting his hand continue down to lightly stroke the side of her hip.

Ron waited as she opened her eyes, and trailed his fingers over her hip, and across, trailing down to her center even as her legs fell open automatically. Ron smirked as he slowly stroked her, "You seem rather ready for this, luv." She gasped as he slid a pair of fingers into her, and rocked against his hand, already trying to move.

She started to move more insistently, even as she reached down and grabbed his hand with both of hers. Luna muttered something unrecognizable, probably his name, as she buried her head in his neck. A soft whimpering sound came from her lips and Ron grinned faintly, as she moved his hand faster. Ron continued to stroke her, moving faster and faster as she moved against his hand.

Luna gasped loudly as the colors in the room swirled and spun as she arched up from her bed. She shuddered, muttering Ron's name reverently as she continued to writhe on the bed. She only distantly noticed Ron's hand move away, as fire crashed along her nerves, "Oh, God," she sputtered as Ron moved up and slid into her, before she even finished coming down.

He groaned at the feeling of her contracting around him, and kept still until she stopped reacting, and met his eyes. Ron cradled her face between his hands as he leaned in and kissed her, and started to move. She kissed him again, her fingers trailing down his back as they moved together, in a rhythm perfected by almost two decades of practice.

Luna started to moan, her voice strained as she blinked sudden beads of sweat from her eyes. Ron dropped his lips to her neck, nuzzling her neck as he moved faster. She let her eyes slip almost closed as she felt a liquid pool of warmth start to gather in her belly again. She wrapped her legs behind his back, locking her ankles with his and urged him on as her hands slipped up to tangle in damp ginger hair.

Ron panted quietly in her ear, as the bed creaked beneath them, their movements becoming more and more frantic. He pulled back, leaning up on his hands, holding her eyes as they started to glow brighter, the silver light shimmering in them, and spilling across his face. He dropped his lips to her throat and slowly followed a rivulet of moisture down her neck and into the valley between her breasts.

He lifted his head back to her lips, and kissed her, even as he felt his stomach begin to tighten and a tingling gathering at the base of his spine. He let his hand reached down between them, and rest on her belly, tracing the faint line of her abs, feeling them quiver under his touch. "Roonniiee," Luna gasped, and he kissed her, letting his hand trace lower, to touch her were they were joined. She screamed into his mouth as she arched upwards, and came undone.

Ron cried out as he felt her magic intertwine with his own, bringing them together. Just for an instant he felt the fire racing along another set of nerves, before he let loose, being pulled along as much by the brief intertwining of their souls as by the feeling of her milking him. She cooed quietly as she felt the additional warmth fill her, and Ron collapsed on top of her, covering her completely.

Luna languidly stoked his back as he rested his face in the crook of her neck. She closed her eyes contently as Ron's heartbeat slowed, feeling it through his lips that were pressed to her pulse. She almost cried as Ron slipped out of her, and rolled over onto his back, and looked over at her. "I love you," Ron said simply and she smiled back at him, even as she knew her eyes were damp.

Ron slipped up to the head of the bed, settling more securely on the pillows. He slipped his wand fully back underneath them, momentarily grateful that his brilliant, if eccentric, wife had long ago placed numerous strengthening and reinforcing charms on it. Luna crawled up, to wrap her limbs around him, tangling her legs with his, and draping her upper body across his. She blinked, and her eyes faded slightly, becoming merely ethereal, before she closed them, and breathed deeply of their mingled scent. Without opening her eyes, she could see the tangled web of their magic, as intertwined as anything she could remember ever seeing around Harry and Hermione.

"I told you if you gave me enough time," Luna breathed, and he nodded, only half listening, as content to feel her torso pressing into his as the skittering dance of magic along his nerves. Or perhaps the sensations were the same. Her head tucked into the space under his chin that was made for it, and she shivered slightly as her damp hair lay against her spine. Ron tightened his arms around her, drawing a blanket to cover them with a vague gesture. While they together or separately would never be as powerful as their siblings by choice, they were much, much more powerful than they had been separately. "I want to go home, Ron...I want my baby back...and Hermione owes me half a box of Honeydukes' Select...she ate all of my last box."

"I'm sure she'll get you a whole case, my Queen," Ron replied tolerantly, not laughing at her, never laughing at her ever again if he could help it.

"She better," Luna said almost petulantly and rolled a bit more on her stomach. She felt long fingers lightly tracing her ribs under the blanket, and relaxed into Ron. She stared at a droplet of moisture slowly evaporating from his chest; "Hermione told me once that some people, think they have to take a shower immediately after...that seems rather odd..." Ron only smiled at the inherent thought, of Luna calling anything or anyone odd, "Why would they do that, Ronnie?"

"I don't know, Luna," Ron whispered, bending his head and kissing the top of her head. "I rather like this. Though if you want, I'd be glad to explore that shower with you."

"Maybe later," she smiled and brought her right hand up to cushion her cheek, while her left fished around under the blanket until she found Ron's. She twisted their fingers together, "We are going home, Ronnie...going home and going to have some decent chocolate."

"Yeah, I believe we are."

**********************Gryffindor Tower*********************************

September 30, 2015
12:30 am

Emilia slipped silently down the stairs from the girl's half of the tower, more as a matter of habit and practice than from any particular desire to be utterly stealthy. In that vein, she had not even bothered to don her invisibility cloak that was hidden in a keyed to her secret compartment in her trunk, the same one that held her sword. It was a closely guarded secret that Emilia left her room every night after the rest of her roommates had dropped off, or in the case of Cassie, staggered in, and went to the boys dorms to be with her bondmate.

So of course everyone in Gryffindor house knew.

No one cared frankly. Ever since the days of her parents, during the dark days where the occupants of the tower knew damn well that the next sunrise might be their last, it was an unofficial tradition, that providing that no one else complained, that their significant others might spend the night with them. It was also a tradition, ironclad in its own way, that this was not a privilege that was to be squandered with a casual fling, and that you better damn well be at least of the age of consent, before you admitted, that you had taken that step.

Emilia yawned faintly, covering her mouth with her hands automatically as she stepped from the stairs onto the cold stone floors of the common room. She started towards the stairs leading up to the boys' rooms, when she looked over to the fire at some unknown instinct to find, sitting staring at the low flames, a head of hair as dark as her own, and closely resembling a owl's nest after a four day bender. A mass of pure white fur was sitting on the couch next to him, with a large, furry head covering his lap.

Emilia altered her course, sending a quick thought to Xander, and dropped into a comfortable armchair facing the couch, where her own eyes slowly looked up at her. Emilia looked at Sirius for a beat, noting the dark bags under his eyes, and the vague look haunting them. She caught the look that Gaheris gave her, moving just his eyes to meet hers, before he licked his lips and pushed into the hand that was continually, unthinkingly scratching his ears. "Alright there, Sirius?" she asked, "Why aren't you asleep, don't you have Defense first thing in the morning?"

"Can't sleep," he replied in a monosyllabic tone. He sighed and continued to pet Harriet's Familiar, who Emilia had not noticed was gone from the foot of Harriet's bed, though she had not looked. Sirius looked down and let his hands run along the Familiar's fur, concentrating utterly on the task.

Emilia frowned slightly, nibbling on her lower lip for a moment, "Why?" Sirius shrugged, and looked back down. She glanced up towards the staircase leading to the boys' rooms, and then back to Sirius.

"Why don't you head on up to bed, Em?" Sirius said, catching her look towards the rooms. He looked back towards his sister and his eyes flared as a thin finger of thought brushed across his consciousness. "Don't," he snapped, as he glared at his sister, "Stay out of my mind, Emilia."

"What's wrong, Sirius?" she asked, quietly, he opened his mouth to growl an annoyed rejoinder, "I bloody well know it's not nothing...Har...I've been worried, I know that you haven't been sleeping not since...oh, bloody hell-" She covered her eyes for a moment, "You should talk to Mum or Dad, Sirius."

"I'm fine, Em, I don't need their help."

"Sirius..."

"I couldn't take it, Em, I puked, right in front of Mum," Sirius replied desperately, his eyes hollow as he looked over at her. Gaheris whined softly and lifted his head, his eyes soft as he bumped Sirius' stomach with his head. Sirius scratched his ears, even as he shook his head towards his sister, watching as she visibly worked over his words. "You didn't even slow down, I heard from some of the ones watching from the windows, you just did what you needed to..."

Emilia slipped from the chair, kneeling on the floor closer to her brother, any possible trace of humor gone. She reached up to grab Sirius' hands, "Is that what you think, Sirius? I...uh...I froze, Rain had to snap me out of it, when Xander got hit...And I crawled in his lap and cried for at least a half hour before he could get me to sleep, that first time, when Harriet and I got hit in Diagon Alley."

"Do you see them, Em, when you sleep...I keep seeing that first one, he was coming for me, or maybe Harriet, and he just fell away, there was red, and he fell away..." Emilia nodded, as he pulled off his glasses with one hand and scrubbed at his eyes with the other. He looked up and gave her a faint smile, "I'd be nice if I had someone to snuggle up with," he teased, faintly.

Emilia smirked as she stood, and ruffled his hair, dodging a half-hearted swing towards her midsection, "I'll ask, but I'm not sure that Xander swings that way." Sirius mocked laughter, and she let her smile fade, "How bad are they, Sirius?" I wish you did have someone to cling to, brother...or rather that you'd just ask; I have a feeling that's all it'd take. I can't do it for you; I would if I could, she thought silently.

He closed his eyes and sat his glasses on the small end table set at one end of the couch. He squinted slightly at her, staring at her with naked emerald orbs. Emilia swallowed as the impact of his full gaze, not filtered through plastic like normal, hit her. "When they come," Sirius said quietly, "they usually start the same as that night...spells coming from the darkness, getting rushed...but then they change...I miss with that swing, and he hits Justin, then I turn and that one gets Harriet...I...I see the flash, this wall of green fills everything...and I see her on the ground. She looks up, and there's nothing there, just...nothing, and she asks me 'Why didn't you save me?' I usually just wake up then, and I can't go to sleep after, I'm afraid to go to sleep after..."

"You need to try, maybe a Dreamless Sleep Potion?"

"So I can run from my problems, Em?" he retorted quickly. She bit her lip, not responding and he shrugged, "Sorry." Sirius glanced up and back, and then back at Emilia, "Why don't you go on up to bed, sis, I'll be alright..." she gave him a look that had to have been inherited from her mother, "I promise that I will kip off soon...and I'll talk to Mum or Dad, alright?" She nodded and patted his shoulder before heading off to climb the stairs to the boys' rooms. She only looked back once, to find him once again looking at the fire, still petting Harriet's Familiar.

***************************Hogwarts*********************************

October 2, 2015
7:20 am

Minerva McGonagall frowned heavily as she watched the youngest Potter slip into the Great Hall, yawning and staggering slightly. She paused in her reflections as a Ravenclaw with dark brown hair, whom she had a more than passing familiarity with through several detentions and disciplinary sessions due to Naomi's rather loose interpretation of fraternization rules. Or at least her seeming disregard for them. McGonagall had been at this school for decades; she knew quite well what went on behind closed broom closet doors, in empty classrooms, atop the Astronomy Tower, and even behind the closed hangings of four posters. She knew that Emilia, for example, had spent perhaps a week's worth of nights, total, in her own bed this term, but she was not about to say a word about it, at least they were discrete.

And she rather thought that the pair had earned it.

She almost growled under her breath, and stood, only to force herself back to her seat with an effort as Jamillia stood and sauntered over to the Gryffindor Table. Sirius sat down heavily across from Elliot and Robert, and the pair of them started talking to him about, if McGonagall interpreted the hand gestures right, Quidditch, most likely the upcoming game with Hufflepuff the next weekend.

Sirius served himself from the dishes around him, and poured a glass of juice, along with a mug of coffee, that he downed quickly, forcing himself awake with a shudder. He looked around slowly, frowning slightly as he did not find any of the sixth year girls there. He had wanted to talk to his sister to see if she wanted to send anything along with his letter to their grandparents via Natasha. Roger and Jane had secure mirrors, of course, but they got a kick out of finding an owl waiting for them along with their toast and bacon.

"Hi, Sirius," a purring voice muttered from somewhere near his right shoulder. He closed his eyes for a single heartbeat, before looking up and back. He nodded, and watched as Naomi bent down slightly as she sat on the bench at the Ravenclaw table across from him, giving him a look down her artfully unbuttoned shirt. He missed the faint scowl that crossed her lips as he held his gaze to her eyes, totally ignoring the flash of dark red knickers revealed when she crossed her legs and uncrossed them, seemingly absently. "I was wondering if you guys were practicing today...you are much better to watch than our team," she asked, her voice laced with just a trace of huskiness.

"Yeah, at three," Sirius replied, shrugging, "It's just a practice though, nothing much to see really."

"There's you...you are rather good with a broom..." Naomi smirked, her gaze rather soft, with her eyes once again looking rather huge in her face. "You could be a pro, you know, Siri..."

"Maybe," he agreed, more to try to move the conversation along than anything. He could feel his friends sniggering behind him, but neither one moved to intercede. Very possibly because both of them were enjoying the show. "I need to..." Sirius did not quite what he needed to do, other than he needed to do it.

"I'll see you around then, Sirius," Naomi replied, standing and tugging on the hem of her skirt slightly. She smiled at him, and moved off, heading towards the doors to the rest of the castle. Sirius sighed as he returned to his breakfast, yawning slightly as he pulled his glasses off and scrubbed tiredly at his eyes.

"You could have said something," Sirius muttered, not looking at his friends.

"I don't know why," Robert said, not quite hiding the laugh that threatened to spill forth. "You could take her out for a ride, Sirius, I'm sure she's got...certain skills." Elliot looked over with a faint glare but did not comment. "She wants you," Robert went on, smirking, "I don't know why..."

Sirius sighed and dropped his head, shaking quickly, "I'm not interested..."

"I know she's not..."

"Shut it," Sirius snapped and looked around quickly. He sighed, "Just drop it..." He scrutinized Robert, "Would you? You are the...player here."

"No," Robert grinned and leaned back slightly, bracing his hands behind his head, "But I have prospects, my good friend." Elliot rolled his eyes, as Robert smiled hugely and waved to a tiny blonde in Ravenclaw colors. She stopped and said something to her friends, part of a group of at least six, all of whom were giving the three Gryffindors searching looks. They giggled and she waved at Robert, leaning back against the Ravenclaw table as she waited. "See you later, mates," Robert said cheerfully and walked over to her.

Sirius turned and watched as Robert leaned in and muttered something in her ear. She laughed quietly and looked down and away, shyly. Sirius sighed and turned back to Elliot. "Why is it that I only attract the slags?" he asked almost plaintively, and shrugged, reconsidering slightly, "Or at least the ones who, I'm not sure even know my first name...."

Elliot looked at him for a long moment; he glanced up as he felt Abigail enter into the Great Hall. He waved at her, and she grinned from near the doors and started over to them, her hair changing from a mid-back, night-black fall of hair, to alternating streaks of red and gold. Her hair started to braid itself into two-colored braids as Elliot looked back to Sirius, "You are daft; you know that right?" Elliot stood and greeted his tiny girlfriend, hugging her to his side and bending down to kiss the top of her head. "I'll see you later, Sirius." Elliot announced, not explaining his pronouncement, as he took Abby's overloaded book bag from her, and slung it over his own shoulder, receiving a blinding smile from her in thanks as they walked off.

A/N: There you go, the darkness has slipped in through the windows.

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17. Chapter 16 Bludgers to the Head

A/N: Back at it again. Thanks as usual to Lady Starlight for her work on this chapter. As usual I own nothing really.
Chapter 16: Bludgers to the Head
**********************Norway, above the Artic Circle************************

October 10, 2015 (Saturday)
8:15 am

The early morning light glinted off walls of ice and frozen rocks, as a baker's dozen stood on the edge of a frozen cliff over looking a grey, storm-tossed fiord. A tall, black-haired man stepped from the center of them and lifted his right arm. He shook the wand in it, and it shimmered, growing into a long, twisted ebony staff. {RETURN, FORTRESS OF THE DARK!} a hissing voice boomed off the ice-covered cliffs.

A dark, glittering spiral ghosted out from the staff, wrapping around a empty space against the cliffs backing the plateau they were standing on, overlooking a bay off the North Sea. The air shimmered and warped, moving back and forth as a dark castle appeared from nowhere, its black stone walls and towers trimmed in ice. A dark booming laugh came from His lips as he looked back to Bellatrix, "Come, let us explore our new home." He waved his staff again and the huge front doors crashed open and he lead his entourage into the dark fortress. The doors boomed closed behind them and a sudden, unnatural silence fell once more over the land.

*************************Hogwarts*******************************

11:52 am

Dozens of flags fluttered in the gusting winds that cut over and through the expansive Quidditch stadium at the ancient school. The stands were filled to overflowing, almost two thousand students, faculty and guests crowding the bleachers and boxes. Red and gold flags fluttered over the section nearest the northern set of golden hoops as even more students streamed into the Gryffindor stands, already waving banners with such slogans as "Eat the Badgers", "Potter X 2...Just Go Home Now" and other pity sayings.

Hermione grinned as she followed Harry up the stairs and stepped out into the Gryffindor box. Unless she and Harry were literally fighting for their lives somewhere, they never missed one of their kids' games. She squeezed Harry's hand where it had found itself in hers, and nodded over towards the rail where they found a familiar head of red hair, bouncing slightly on her toes as she nervously rung her hands together or played with the red and gold scarf hanging around her neck. Hermione let Harry pull her back against him, looked up at him, and they shared a silent laugh at Harriet's antics.

Harriet waved to her cousins as Virginia and Lawrence ripped past overhead, rolling in unison to the cheers from the Gryffindor stands. They pulled up sharply and started to orbit the pitch in opposite directions, waiting for Hooch to blow the whistle. Emilia started to circle much tighter circles around the center of the pitch. She glanced back over her shoulder to hold Xander's eye for an instant as he hovered in the center of the center hoop, tightening the straps on his gloves.

Rain ran up from the stairs, and shouted a greeting at Harry and Hermione as she rushed past to go stand with Harriet. Harriet pointed towards the field and Rain nodded, before she made a mug of chocolate appear from nowhere. She sipped it, trying not to laugh as she watched Harriet's eyes tracking only a certain black-haired Chaser in red and gold. She conjured another, and handed it Harriet, who took it distractedly as Sirius whipped by overhead. You've got it bad, girl, Rain thought absently, putting aside the fact that she, herself was trying not to think about what would happen when Ravenclaw played Gryffindor in their next game. When she had to decide whether to cheer for her own house, or for the Eagles.

Emilia took a breath as she settled directly over the center of the pitch, opposite the Hufflepuff seeker, Andrea Wendelquill. She compensated unconsciously for the occasional burst of wind that whipped across the air one hundred feet above the ever-green grass of the pitch. Only a distant corner of her mind remembered that her parents were in the stands, or that her brother, and erstwhile cousins where orbiting somewhere behind her between the centerline and the north, Gryffindor-defended goal. A somewhat larger portion of her mind knew exactly where Xander was waiting for the whistle, as nothing, not even death would break that connection.

"You're going down, Potter," Wendelquill shouted across over the wind.

Emilia only shook her head, not bothering to respond. The Mark VIII Firebolt that sat beneath her, seemed to respond to her thoughts, as she slowly panned her eyes around the pitch, shielded from the wind and sun behind a pair of tinted goggles.

Far below, Harry watched his daughter, wrapping both arms around Hermione as she stood in front of him, wedged between him and the rail. He rubbed his hands along her biceps, ignoring with a patience born of long experience, as bits of her hair that had escaped the thick tail that most of her hair was in.

Hermione reached up and grabbed his hands, pulling them down to her belly, and wrapping her hands around them to keep them there as the whistle blew and the ten players hanging in the air snapped into motion, seemingly violating several laws of physics as they did so.

The Snitch shot straight up between the two Seekers, and nosed over, darting towards the trench surrounding the pitch, followed closely by the two girls. It darted sideways as it passed a post and vanished, causing Emilia to curse softly and pull straight up, shooting straight through the crowded pack. She rolled sharply to the side as a Bludger shot at her head, and glanced back to watch Virginia batted it straight towards the Hufflepuff Keeper, just as Sirius darted in.

The Keeper pulled to the side, just as Sirius shot at the goal, the two balls passing one another by inches.

A loud gong sounded as Sirius scored, and then equally loud sigh, as a Bludger raced in, unseen from the side and clipped him on the side. The Gryffindor stands booed, and in those stands, two women shook, the elder of the pair turning and burying her face in Harry's shoulder...just like she did every time.

Harriet made a quiet whimpering sound, and grabbed Rain's hand, squeezing it tightly.

"He's fine, Harriet," Rain muttered, rolling her eyes.

Hermione turned back to the game as Sirius shook off the hit and pulled up and back, shooting back towards the Gryffindor goal in pursuit of the Quaffle, that the three Hufflepuff Chasers were tossing back and forth.

He almost caught up as Bob dove in from the side, spinning and shooting between two of them, and intercepting a pass, only to have it stripped from him in a collision with the third Hufflepuff Chaser.

The Chaser spun around a Bludger sent his way by Lawrence and ripped a cross-court shot at the leftmost goal, only to have Xander snag it out of the air and tuck it under one arm. He waited a beat as Sirius, Bob and Angel Rodriguez, a small, dark-haired fourth year playing in the third Chaser's slot, spun in the air, and ripped back downfield.

Xander shot a pass directly towards Angel, dropping it into her hands as she dove under a Bludger, and flicked a pass sideways; instants before a collision with one of the Hufflepuff Chasers.

She slowly fluttered to the grass, as Sirius caught it, deflected another Bludger with his armguard, and dropped the Quaffle straight down to Bob.

He caught it, and rolled up and right in a vast spiral, holding the opposing Keeper's gaze, just as he flung it to Sirius, who caught and shot in the same motion to score once more.

Harriet started to hop like a demented bunny rabbit in the stands, almost going over the edge in her excitement, and was caught by Rain's flashing hand on her shirt. Her eyes tracked him across the sky, her chest heaving for some reason, as Sirius spun in place with unconscious grace, and headed back across the sky.

Emilia distantly read the score from Xander's thoughts, though as it was with her father, it was only peripheral to her job, a marker as to when to strike. She took a breath as she caught a glitter of gold out of the corner of one eye and seemed to plummet almost thirty feet in a heartbeat, and nearly stopping her mother's before she leveled out, and tore across the ether under the play going on around her, as she raced towards the Slytherin stands.

The Snitch wove into the stands, darting amongst the spectators and Emilia pulled up, darting to the side, and nearly avoiding a collision with a rather large seventh year, in a bright green cloak. Ignoring him as he shouted something derogatory towards her, something about her getting fleas, she orbited back towards the pitch. Just then, the gong sounded another score for Gryffindor, and only a beat later, a score for Hufflepuff, a score that was accompanied by a rather inventive stream of curses in her head from the other half of her soul.

Think we need to go ahead and cast Arresto Momentum on your daughter-in-law? Harry asked laughingly as Harriet continued to watch Sirius closely, not noticing as she nearly fell once more.

He better damn well wait until he's at least seventeen to marry her, Hermione shot back instantly, smirking slightly, as Harry lifted a single eyebrow, he has to get on the damn broom first anyway, Harry.

Harry snorted and kissed the top of her head, not saying a thing as the game continued on, watching as Gryffindor scored another ten goals to Hufflepuff's four.

A whistle sounded as a foul was called on Virginia, and she spiraled upward, biting her lip to keep from cursing in Hooch's face.

A grey-eyed, brunette standing on Rain's other side, between her and her brother Michael, booed the call, only to be hurriedly hushed by Rain, "She's right, Kris, don't make it worse."

Kristina Spur crossed her arms and leaned on the railing as one of the Hufflepuff Chasers lined up for a bonus. She screamed in delight a beat later, along with the rest of the Gryffindor stands, as Xander blocked the shot.

A whistle sounded and play resumed.

Another thirty minutes passed, with Sirius scoring three more goals, and the rest of Gryffindor four, before Emilia finally found, once more, a glint of gold hovering just behind Xander's right ear. His attention was utterly and totally on the three Hufflepuff Chasers racing towards him, even as his fiancée sped towards him.

A bright red blur shot directly at him, followed closely, and only slightly more slowly, by a black-haired, red jersey'ed figure on a broom. Xander's hand snapped up grabbed the Quaffle...

DUCK, Emilia snapped, rolling inverted, and snagged the Snitch, her gloved fingers ruffling his hair in passing an instant before they closed around the struggling winged Ball.

The Gryffindor stands erupted as the whistle blew, ending the game.

Hermione jumped up in Harry's arms, cheering as loudly as any of the students as Emilia started a slow victory lap. Continuing to cheer as the stands rapidly emptied, led by her red-haired goddaughter as she nearly sprinted to the stairs to greet the team on the field.

Harry and Hermione smiled as they looked down on the field, watching as Harriet jumped up and hugged an surprised Sirius, before stepping back quickly, obviously embarrassed even to such distant observers as themselves. Hermione sighed as Emilia kissed a newly-landed Xander, and reached into her pocket, pulling out a vibrating, folded mirror.

She checked the outside display, "We need to get back, we have a meeting, Harry."

"Yeah," he sighed, even as he watched Sirius shrug off several congratulations and head off towards the locker room, not looking up at anything or anyone. Harry took a breath and tightened his arms around Hermione, and they vanished, disappearing between eyeblinks.

*************************London********************************
11:15 pm

Reginald Armbruster moved briskly down a dark and twisted cobblestone street, tucked between old, tattered and run-down homes. He looked back at the clatter of boot-heels on the stones and sped up further, grabbing at a scroll in his hands. He jumped as something scurried in the trashheaps. He flicked a wand toward the sound only to let it droop as a mangy alleycat padded out with a mouse in its maw.

He hustled down the street towards a lighter rectangle demarking the entrance to Charing Cross Road, and safety only a few dozen yards away in the heart of Wizarding London. For about the thousandth time since he had ducked out the back of his home office at a crash, clutching a single scroll that he knew his nighttime guests were after, he bemoaned his inability to Apparate.

Eighteen years before, a letter had come to him, in the guise of his employ as a solicitor to some of Wizarding Europe's oldest Families, most notably, formally the Malfoys, the Notts, the Zabinis, and others. It was telling that at no time, the Houses of Potter, Weasley, Patil, and others had ever used his services in the slightest. Not even when they had desperately needed his or his father or grandfather's, admittedly outstanding skills.

The letter had arrived without an address, with only the admonition to keep it safe, that under no circumstances was he to let the Aurors have it. The second sheet in the packet had not been a correspondence, but a much, much more ancient scroll, tattered and stained with age. The language on it was unknown, at least to him, and the best that his back alley experts had been able to ascertain that it contained some sort of summoning ritual. They had suggested that he take it to the true experts...Albus Dumbledore, or perhaps Hermione Potter, but from the mere handwriting on the letter, he had known that that might not be the brightest of ideas. At least at the time.

Now that idea seemed rather inviting, the Slayers-of-He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named might be the only ones who could save him. He moved closer to the faint light of the streetlamps, panting slightly, not being used to such exertions as he had undertaken this night.

He took another step and a faint CRACK rent the air behind him, and he spun to find a pair of mocking faces, visible even behind the white masks they both wore. He stumbled back, crashing over a dustbin, and spun only to watch as the air wavered several strides ahead of him, and a dark pair stepped out from nowhere.

The taller of the pair slowly drew a dark wand from the pocket of his cloak and held it low in front of him. His face was hidden in the deep shadows of his hood, as he gestured towards Reginald with his free hand. The other of the pair, as she swept her hood back was not unknown to him, in fact he had been at her trial more than thirty years prior, when he had failed to keep her from Azkaban.

Bellatrix smirked, "CRUCIO," a searing yellow beam snapped out across the alley, sending him to his knees, screaming in pain. He fell over onto his side, the scroll tumbling from loose fingers as he curled into a ball. It floated up without a sound or a visible spell to the hooded one, and settled into his hand. Bellatrix laughed as his screams started to become interspaced with choking sobs as she started to move the spell to and fro, modifying its effect.

A dazzling orange beam snapped past her, and the solicitor exploded, sending charred bits bouncing off the walls, and a shower of blood in all directions. The gore stopped short of the pair in the back and slid down to the ground off an invisible wall in front of Bellatrix. She pouted as she looked back at her heretofore silent companion, "He was weak," a dark, silky voice answered her unsaid question, with the barest trace of a hiss underlying it, "any enjoyment would have been brief...let us leave, we have what we have come for. It was foolish of Zabini to think that the knowledge would not be found." He waved his hand and the far pair of Death Eaters vanished, and looked to Bellatrix, his face still hidden. He flicked his wand and they both vanished in a swirl of noxious smoke, leaving behind only the dark remnants of the night's fell deeds.

****************************Godric's Hollow******************************

October 11, 2015
1:15 am

Harry lay awake in the dappled moonlight slipping past the opened curtains of the bedroom windows. He watched, rolled up on his side, the slow rise and fall of his wife's chest as his mind danced around the events that had occurred since the summer. Automatically, one finger gently reached out and started to trace along a breast, sliding up and down a bare side. "Harry," she muttered, moving slightly on the bed towards him, reacting even in her sleep to his presence.

He let the hand trace down until it rested flat on her belly, just below her navel and spreading to the tops of her thighs. Her eyes fell open, and her head turned to his, even as one of her hands moved, grasping and interlacing their fingers, before letting the new whole fall back to her stomach, possibly even lower than before. I know, Harry, she said softly after holding his gaze for a moment as her thoughts snapped back to the sight of their son after they congratulated him for Gryffindor's win. She moved on the bed, pushing him onto his back and rolling half on top of him, sending the sheets somewhere south of their hips. They moved back up with a thought, covering her to mid back, as she settled in.

He's bothered by it...

And Em knows, and she didn't tell us, whatever it is, Hermione finished for him. Do you think it has to do with the 'Train'? Harry nodded silently, and Hermione took a breath. We are total and utter fuckups at being parents, she growled darkly, Harry started to say something, something that he probably meant to be reassuring, but she cut him off, I mean, sure we saw Em damn near lose it, but besides that bit of puking, he seemed alright...Damn it, Harry, I knew...know better....

Do we, Hermione, he asked and she looked up at him, moving just her eyes, I mean...how did we learn to handle it?

She smiled, just faintly, Besides crawling into bed and shagging each other until we stopped crying? He nodded, and she sighed, I don't know that we ever did besides just be there...it was a different time, at least for me, Harry. There was nothing I wouldn't have done...still won't do to keep you or them safe. That first time, at my parents, I just drove through it, and then did about what I'm doing now, afterward.

Harry rolled his tongue around the inside of his cheek, staring upward at the ceiling he had enchanted for her after Emilia was born, and while she was still carrying Sirius. Back when just for a brief while they had thought the tumult in their lives was finally over. A pair of shooting stars flashed across the ceiling from right to left, as he took a breath, He was doing the same thing, Mione, you know what Anna said, about the part she saw.

Neither of them are admitting it, Harry, if they were, then at least they'd have each other. Hermione further tried to bury her face in his shoulder, tickling his chest with her hair. I never thought that I'd be wanting my son to get off his arse and admit it...She shook her head, One of us needs to talk to him.

Me or you?

You, I had Em. Harry tightened his arms around her as he felt dampness on his chest, and started to stroke her hair idly. This really sucks, Harry, she added with a faintly choked 'voice'. Harry nodded and pressed his lips to the top of her head. I wasn't ready for this one...I thought...had hoped it was over.

Yeah, me too.

*****************************Hogwarts***********************************

October 14, 2015

10:20 pm

Emilia pulled along her more than slightly recalcitrant brother, jerking him along by her hand on his wrist. She paused as they came to a corner, and peeked around, checking for the housekeeper, even though both of them were prefects. She looked back at her brother and without a word, shoved him at a black section of wall with more than a bit of magical boost to her muscles.

He stumbled straight at the wall, hit it, and passed straight through. Sirius straightened as he looked up and around, finding a cozy round room lit by the light from a blazing fire set in a flagstone grate. A pair of tattered couches were set in front of the fire, and as Sirius approached the couch, he could see a small coffee table set between the two couches with a pair of chilled butterbeers.

"I never knew this room was here," Sirius mused as he walked around the couch. He looked back toward the stretch of wall he had been tumbled through, and then around the room suspiciously. His hand flashed to his thigh, drawing his wand in a seamless blur. He spun around, looking for someone...

"I really don't think I deserve to be hexed today, Sirius," Harry commented wryly from the shadows, "though your mother may disagree...But she is rather fond of doing the job herself."

Sirius spun to Harry's voice and watched as his father faded from the shadows. He moved to the couches and vaulted casually over the back of one, dropping into the seat. He reached forward and grabbed a butterbeer, popped the cork and took a long sip. "What are you doing here, Dad?" Sirius asked warily, without moving from his spot.

"Didn't get a chance to talk to you the other day while we were here," Harry replied and gestured towards the other couch, "sit down."

Sirius frowned and looked back towards the blank wall again, before he reluctantly moved to the couch across from Harry and dropped onto it. He looked across at his father, and impatiently shook his hair out of his eyes. "I'm fine, Dad, everything is fine." He reached forward and picked up his butterbeer, swallowing a third of it, "Thanks for the butterbeer, but I really need to get back to studying."

"No you don't, Sirius...I know better, you can skip one night, son," Harry said, hiding his smile as he watched Sirius fidget. Harry sat quietly, and waited, watching Sirius as he played with his sleeve, took another sip of his beer and looked around at the room. Sirius pulled his wand back out and examined it, before resheathing it.

"What did you want to talk about?" Sirius asked quietly, finally breaking the silence.

"Something's bothering you, Sirius," Harry replied, watching as Sirius' eyes hardened suddenly, and he muttered something under his breath.

"What did Em tell you?" he snarled, "I knew that I shouldn't have said anything to her, I knew she was up to something..."

"Your sister didn't say anything, your mother and I have known you since you were born, Sirius...we could read it in your eyes," Harry shot back, watching his own eyes flare across the couch, and fade, as Sirius took a breath and closed them. Sirius looked down as he picked up his bottle in both hands and watched it as it rolled back and forth between them. "Now, Sirius, what's wrong...is it what happened on the train?" Sirius shrugged and sighed, talking a sip of his drink without looking up.

Harry nodded as if to himself, as he took a sip of his own beer. Briefly, he almost considered using Legilimency, though he pretty much knew what was on his son's mind, he wasn't all that different from himself or Hermione, in the end, in many ways. Not in this, and besides, he was not about to use the amount of power it would take to push through Sirius' defenses, not after the years of training his children had undergone to gain that proficiency. "It sucks doesn't it?" Harry said conversationally, "you don't want to remember, but you do, pops up at the damnest times."

Sirius shrugged again, and Harry half frowned, not that Sirius saw. "It's alright, Sirius, you aren't supposed to bury it, keep it down; it'll drive you insane."

"I...I couldn't handle it, Dad...not like you or Mum, or even Em...none of you puked their guts out, just wanted to go crawl in a corner and cry. It doesn't seem to bother any of you overly..."

"I did more than once, Sirius...it still does sometimes," Harry replied softly and his son's head snapped up and locked to his gaze. Harry nodded, and took a breath, closing his eyes for an instant as almost thirty years life in the magical world through both the darkest and lightest of times flashed past his mind. Distantly he heard Hermione whisper to him. I'm fine, Mione, Harry muttered and got the image of a disbelieving nod in return. He felt her squeeze his hand and retreat to the back of his mind. "That's not in the books, is it, son?"

Sirius shook his head slowly, "I...I don't ..."

"Sirius, the only reason that I am still here, that I am more or less still sane is your mother," Harry said, bending forward and cradling his own beer between his hands, "I woke up for years with nightmares, I still do occasionally, you know that, and Merlin help me, if there were anyway to keep them from you, I would...I'd offer to Obliviate the memories from your head...but that's not really a solution. I've seen too many Wizards take that easy path...it's just worse in the end."

"But what if I can't handle it," Sirius looked up, his eyes dark, "What if I screw up next time?" Harry opened his mouth, only to remain silent as Sirius shook his head, "You know there will be, Dad, if not in this fight, then another...what if I choke, freeze and let, Em or Ha...someone get hurt because of it?"

Harry looked away from Sirius, watching the flames in the grate for a bit. He slowly glanced around the room, examining the small little room that the Twins had used for their little, interludes, during their stays. In addition to the fireplace, which almost every single room in the huge castle had in one form or another, despite some of them having no possible way for them to hook to any actual chimney, a small polished wooden bar was set over to one side, along with a large cedar chest that Harry knew from a brief examination had held blankets and pillows. Just for an instant, he let a brief wry thought about what Molly would think about him showing his son, a de facto, excellent place to snog, but shook it off, along with the smile that threatened to bloom. "I can't tell you, Sirius," Harry replied quietly, "but if it is any comfort, I would trust you at my back before almost anyone."

Sirius smiled slightly, and looked up at Harry, "Really...even as much as Mum?"

Harry snorted, "Well your mother does have a hell of a vested interest in me, something about not wanting to have to carry all the groceries in herself, and a lot of lost training...but, yeah, as much as your mother."

Sirius swallowed, "Thanks...I think."

"You're welcome," Harry said lightly, even though the sentiment was not. He watched Sirius as the younger Potter seemed to consider his words. "I'll tell you mine if you'll tell me yours."

Sirius cocked his head slightly and finished his beer. He set the empty to the table and the bottle vanished with a snap of light to be replaced by a new one. "Are they all squicky involving Mum?"

Harry laughed, "Some of them, yeah," then sobered, "a lot of them are, yeah, or you and your sister, sometimes friends..." Harry closed his eyes for a beat as a flash of the one of the darkest, variants of which had never really went away flicked across his mind, only new and updated through the years.

Sirius thought about his words for a minute or two; then stood from the couch, walking over to the fire and turning to face it. Harry watched the back of his head, knowing that no son really wanted his father to see the tears that might fall. "I've had a few over the years," Sirius began, "our family seems to breed them occasionally...It's alright, Dad, I'm not going to trade you off." He took a breath, "It usually starts on that train...sometimes, I don't know if I'm going to able to stand to get on it at Christmas, the train slams to a stop, and Harriet crashes into me and hits her head on...something, and her blood...it's all over my hands."

He shoved his hands into his pockets, "We go outside, and we split up, like we did...and it just goes to the crapper...All of them come out on my side, I see a Eater line up on Rain on top of the train and before I can say anything or get a shield up...there's just this flash of green, and...she's just gone." He took another shuddering breath and went on with a hitch in his throat, "I can hear Em screaming her name from the other side, and then her voice is just...cut off..." He shrugged and scuffed the toe of his trainers against the stone floor, "I just go...cold, and Justin flies past me, at least I think its him, all I can see is blood, and they are on me and Harriet...and I try to fight them off...God, it seems like forever, they just keep coming...and I just can't fire another spell, can't even swing...and a were comes from the side...I should have seen it, but can't get there...and Harriet's...down. They all stop attacking, and just-laugh as I dive over to her, and...and she's just looking at me...her blood is all over my hands...and she's just staring at me, and she's not there, Dad...she's not fucking there," he whispered desperately and seemed to quiver on his feet.

"Sirius, I..."

"No...I'm looking down at her, I don't even know or care where my wand or sword are, and I hear all these Disapparitions, and then I look up and see you and Mum there...and one of you goes, 'All you had to do was to hold them for a couple more minutes'."

Harry scrubbed his hand through his hair, as Sirius looked back at him, a faint glimmer in the corner of his eyes, "You held them for more than long enough, Sirius...you did more than anyone could or should have expected from you. You lot stopped a force that would have ripped through half of my Aurors, Sirius, let alone most of the students there." Harry cocked his head slightly, "You do know that right?" Sirius nodded and gripped the back of the couch across from Harry. "Do you want to hear mine?" Harry asked softly, and Sirius looked up at him blearily.

"Is it much different from mine?" he asked with sudden insight.

"Only in the particulars," Harry replied, watching his son's face as he slowly regained lost color, "They usually feature Tom when he was still alive, and your mother in the place of your g...friends," Sirius did not even quiver at the faint slip, "but they are remarkably similar in the end."

"Then no," Sirius said, taking a breath and straightening, "Are you going to tell...Mum?"

"Do you want me not to?"

"No...go ahead, I guess." Sirius looked down at his watch, and looked towards the wall, "I really should get back to studying...Thanks, Dad." Harry just nodded as Sirius started towards the wall that hid the entrance to the room. "I'm not going to let anything hurt them if I can help it...you know that, don't you?"

"Yeah," Harry nodded, "I rather thought so...You can call me or your Mum anytime at all, Sirius."

"I know." He stepped through the invisible wall and Harry let out a deep breath and unclenched a fist that he had not noticed had closed. A pair of calming breaths and he vanished, leaving the room as he had found it.

A/N: Next chapter, Sirius brings back a bit of the past.

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18. Chapter 17: Dumbledore's Army

A/N: And now the past comes back to haunt us. Thanks as usual to Lady Starlight for her work on this chapter, and I still own nothing really.

Chapter 17: Dumbledore's Army.
*******************************Hogwarts Library**************************

October 20, 2015
8:00 pm

"Emilia," Sirius asked softly from near her ear, "can I talk to you..." he looked at over at Xander, where the elder Lupin was sitting across the table going over something with his sister, "in private?"

Emilia turned to her brother, sweeping a lock of inky hair out of her eyes. She looked over to Xander, caught a tiny nod, and stood, her fingers tapping the side of her leg automatically to feel the grip of her wand through the fabric of her skirt.

Sirius waited as she kissed the top of Xander's head in passing, and followed through the stacks towards the front of the Library. They dodged around a cart that was working its way through the shelves, spitting out volumes to reshelve themselves. Emilia spun in place, watching a moldy book snap past her nose, and land with a thunk on a shelf behind her. She frowned slightly as Sirius kept walking past the checkout desk and into the main castle.

Emilia caught him halfway down the hall, and walked alongside him as he continued down the hall. Sirius moved with a purposeful stride, his hand movements tight and controlled, as he moved unerringly towards a tapestry depicting a pure white kneazle wearing a witches' hat and directing an orchestra of unmanned instruments with a wand in one of its paws. He pushed aside the tapestry and vanished.

She followed, to find herself on a stone balcony overlooking the early evening grounds. The air around her was warm, and the vague tingle of contained energies told her of a warming field in place. She took another step forward to stand next to Sirius at the balustrade, where he was leaning with his forearms on rail, looking down into the dim grounds. He took a breath as she settled next to him, "It's just beginning." Emilia nodded silently, and Sirius gave her a quick smile. "I'm tired of feeling sorry for myself, Em," he added after a bit, thoughtfully.

"You just had a hard time of it, bro, I'd been as bad if I didn't have Xan."

Sirius frowned slightly at that comment, as did Emilia after what she had said registered. She blanched, but he waved it away, "We need to be ready next time, Em...not just us..."

"Seems it's been done before," was her only reply. She watched a pair of owls wheel past the side of the castle, "should I contact, Mum and Dad, they might have ideas..." he started to shake his head, and she looked over, "They aren't Molly Weasley, Sirius, they know we aren't going to hide under the tables when it comes."

"Who do you think we should bring in to start?"

Emilia stopped and her eyes looked up and to the left, thinking. She worried her bottom lip in her teeth for a moment longer, before responding slowly, "Xander, Rain, Harriet," she held her thoughtful expression as something flashed in Sirius' eyes, "they are a given of course. As are Elliot...Justin, Anna and Nate are trustworthy, of course, but we might put them in a bind with their positions. Beyond them, Abby's going to be there if Elliot is as is Shin, the twins and Bob...beyond that...maybe Dan and his girlfriend, and Virginia's as well..."

He smiled faintly, "Has Aunt Molly ever figured that out?"

"Aunt Molly is still in the eighteen hundreds," Emilia replied tightly, "she can get over it...I'm more worried about her still bitching about Harriet being at our place...Like Mum and Dad would let a bleeding orgy or something go on, like she seems to think is happening or something."

"This weekend?"

"Yeah, we can use the Room to start, it'll be more or less discrete..."

**************************South London****************************

October 23, 2015
11:20 pm

Harry stood from a crouch with a soft sigh and looked over at Hermione. She frowned and brushed her hands along the outside of Harry's long wool coat she had borrowed to cover her short red dress. They had been at dinner with her parents to celebrate Roger's birthday when the call had come through, summoning them here to the darkness outside of a Muggle department store.

They had arrived to find a half-dozen Aurors spread out, a team of Wendel's forensic group on site, and seven bodies strewn about as if attacked by a mad animal. Blood was splattered on several walls and across a plate glass window, but no pools of red were spreading out from under them, as might be indicated by the ripped-out throats.

Hermione reached up and tugged at the knot her hair was piled in on the top of her head, before returning a slight shrug. She looked down at the body spread out under her, then at the half-dozen others tossed about the street like so many discarded toys. They are all drained, Harry.

I noticed, he murmured in return, and held his wife's eyes for a beat from across the street. You look beautiful tonight, he murmured, and she gave him a wan smile pacing over to him, striding purposefully even in two-inch heels.

She stopped next to him, watching as several wizards moved around the bodies, cataloging the findings and making preparations to vanish the remains into the ether.
She stood closely to him for a minute of silence, This wasn't even a fight, Harry, she muttered as she did not quite lean back into him, That girl was just a trainee, she had a flat about a block away...Hermione waved angrily towards a spilled sack of groceries, probably tried to save them...

Then, what? he asked, stepping away from her to examine the body of the young woman in question, her white blouse was ripped away, exposing a bright purple bra, which was almost covered in her blood. He closed his eyes; She isn't much older than Em, Mione...

I know. She reached into the pocket of Harry's coat and flipped open a mirror, and touched a short combination into the tiny keypad set under the screen. It wavered for a moment, and then settled down into the moiré pattern it took on when making secure calls. She waited as a pleasant female voice answered, and the pattern cleared to show a young blonde girl, "This is Agent Potter, authorization code, alpha seven two epsilon nine zulu seven two nine..." The girl straightened perceptively, and gave Hermione a nod; "We have a rogue Vampire on our hands." The girl nodded, only paling slightly as Hermione went on, "Call in the slayer team on call, have them radiate from here, and issue an advisory on it...Use the usual excuse to the Muggles."

Hermione flipped the mirror closed as the girl nodded again, and watched as Harry stood from his crouch, closing the eyes of the girl with a tired hand. "I think that we might want to pay Deirdre another visit, Love," Hermione said softly.

"Yeah, we should do that."

******************************Cardiff*******************************

October 24, 2015
1:12 am

"FOOLS," A dark-haired, dark-eyed man roared and strode across the floor of an abandoned Muggle nightclub as a pair of women slipped in with smirks on their faces. He reached them just as the taller of the pair, a slim brunette dressed in a tight, half-undone white blouse and a short checkered skirt, looked at him with a sudden spike of fear replacing her glee.

She tumbled through the air, crashing back into a large mirror set over a polished bar and shattering it. Her companion dropped to her knees in front of the man, ripping open her top to expose her chest and tilting her head back to expose her throat. He reached down, twisting his hands in her hair and dragging her to her feet as he bent her head back. She whimpered as his head descended, and ivory-white fangs elongated before sliding into the pale skin of her neck.

He let the girl fall to the floor and shot out his hand, and the brunette flew across the room into his grasp. A sharp tug and her shirt tore away, before he jerked back on her hair and sunk his teeth into her as well. Red tears bloomed at the corners of her eyes as he tossed her on top of her blonde companion, and held her down with a gleaming black boot on her chest. "Do you have a thought in your scrambled little minds besides sex and blood?" he hissed and faint titters of almost laughter came from another pair of casually dressed vampires sitting at a table halfway across the room nursing a pair of steaming goblets of dark red liquid. They silenced at a glare, and he looked back at the table he had been sitting at, looking over several ancient parchments.

He gestured at a tall, bald man sitting there, with a mug of steaming coffee looking tiny in his huge hands. Lucian stood and nodded to a pair of lupine guards and walked over to his master. "Sire," he said neutrally as he stopped a pair of steps back and to the vampire's right.

Kernal Vacko looked back at him, and then at the pair still at his feet, "Tell me why, Sarah, love," the brunette shook slightly and whimpered quietly as he took his foot from her chest, and slowly knelt next to her, letting his fingers languidly trace down from the twin puncture marks on her neck to her chest and back, "Why should I allow you and Olga back into my bed-why I shouldn't just give you to the wolves tonight?

The blonde looked up at him with her upper lip vibrating slightly, exposing the tips of her fangs, "We're sorry...we were feeding...we weren't even going to kill them, and then that stupid girl..."

"Elucidate, Sarah," Vacko murmured, looking from Olga back to her as Lucian stood at his shoulder, his massive arms crossed across a muscled chest that a thousand pound suit did not even start to disguise.

She took a breath that she did not need and rose to her knees, her neck slightly bowed. "We love you, Kernal...we would never do anything to disappoint you...we didn't have a choice...we had picked up a meal at a club, and four men came along, and attacked us as we were feeding...We killed them for their temerity, and then that Auror girl came along and we had to kill her as well...she almost staked Olga..."

He lifted her eyes to his with one lone finger under her chin and started at her for a solid minute of silence. Kendal kissed her forehead, and lightly petted her side, slipping his hand under the open front of her shirt.

He sighed and cupped the back of her head, drawing her to his chest, before standing easily, and pulling both vampiresses with him. The pair draped along either side, as he looked back to Lucius, "They are telling the truth, old friend." Sarah purred quietly and nuzzled at his neck, letting her fangs scrape lightly along his neck.

"Shit happens as they say," the huge man growled, and if he was perturbed at losing the services of the pair for the night, he did not show it. "This does put a crimp in our activities, however. If the Aurors manage to connect the attack on the train, with this...unwitting action by your lieutenants, it could expose our connection with Bellatrix...and her unseen master." The were made a faint gesture of negation, and stepped closer so only Kendal and the pair of girls would hear him, "Kendal, I have been with you for over a hundred years, and you know that would do anything for you," the Master Vampire nodded, "My pups are at your castle, under your protection...But does this course seem wise? We have chafed under the restrictions the Elders have placed on us, especially since they failed to control Fenrir in the last war, and fear retributions, but if this goes wrong...if we are wrong about this, if it truly is not the means for our freedom from the chains that bind us...They will hunt us down, root and branch and we will be all dead...Potter and Dumbledore and the rest might limit it to us, but the Elders will come after our children after the human hunters have decimated us."

Kendal let his hands drop to the bellies of his companions, holding them more tightly to him, he had never meant the threat to send either of them to the werewolves for the night, "I know, old friend, but they have given us no choice...The Elders have ordered our children to be placed under their 'supervision', you know what that really means..."

He took both women about the waist and started off towards a set of stairs leading downward, towards a chamber he had had installed when he bought the club in the rundown industrial district as a base of operations. "I won't have mine murdered in the night by thousand-year-old crones, that have not taken a lover in decades."

*************************Room of Requirement*****************************

October 24, 2015
7:45 pm

Emilia watched as Dan and Chastity slipped into the room and the heavy oak door closed behind them as they walked over to stand behind one of the couches. The room had manifested, today, into a relaxed version of the Gryffindor common room, though with occasional hints of blue mixed in with the red and gold trim. Tall shelves of books, filled with titles ranging from < u>, to Mundane Weapon Theory in an Age of Magic to Resisting the Urge, an Auror's Guide to Resisting Honey Traps. Robert was currently avidly reading that one.

Sirius was pacing near the fireplace, with Harriet watching him out of the corner of her eye from her perch on one of the conjured couches. Rain sat next to her, leaning back with Justin on her other side, studiously ignoring him as he half slumbered beside her. Anastasia and Nathan sat across from them, curled together on one of the other couches with Nathan occasionally playing with a chestnut curl as he watched Emilia. Abigail was sitting next to Hermione's sister, between her and Elliot, her small size allowing her to squeeze in into the space.

Shin was sitting on a hassock in front of her friend, and was talking quietly to Lawrence about some bit from the last game. He waved his arms wildly, pantomiming some wild hit he had performed, and she was nodding as he went on.

The door opened one last time and every eye turned to the door as Virginia walked in, her hand clutched tightly in the hand of a thin girl with shoulder-length, straight brown hair. Kristina Spurr was a fifth-year Gryffindor, like Virginia, her roommate in fact, and at least since sometime this summer, Virginia's girlfriend. Her mother ran the family business, one of the Wizarding World's largest distributor of unusual and rare potions ingredients, and was one of WWW's larger suppliers. Consequently Kris had spent a great deal of time at the various stores and at Fred's moderate estate a few miles south of Ottery St. Catchpole.

Virginia flushed slightly at the attention, as did her companion, but Sirius gave them a quick smile and waved them into the room. The pair sat down together on an empty hassock in front of one of the couches and Emilia looked to Sirius. Xander crossed his arms as he leaned back against the wall next to the fireplace.

Sirius looked at each of them and took a breath, "Thanks for coming...I'll be blunt, and there is a reason that only...family, is here," he said looking at Dan, Chastity and Kris pointedly. Kris gave him a small, shy smile, and he nodded faintly and went on. "You all saw what happened at the train, and you've all heard about this summer at Diagon Alley, with Harriet and Em..." A chorus of nods answered him. "There won't always be someone there to bail us out."

"Sirius," Kris said timidly, he waved to her, "what about the Aurors, aren't they there to help us?" She looked around at the others, "I mean the Ministry isn't just ignoring the problem this time, is it? I mean they aren't saying that your folks are insane...much anyway." She looked over at Virginia, "I, uh..."

Virginia shook her head, and kissed her, for the first time any of the others could remember her doing so. "It's alright," she murmured and Sirius cleared his throat before looking over to Emilia.

"You're right," Emilia said, "they aren't. But they can't be everywhere at once. Hogwarts was, is and always will be, a target. Its very existence is a poke in the eye of any Dark Wizard out there..." she looked at each of them in turn and swallowed faintly, "and honestly-you are friends-you would all be targets."

A contemplative hush echoed in the room as her words sunk in, the thought that no one had voiced, but had known in the backs of their minds. Dan looked to each side, "So...what will we learn that we won't in Defense? I mean that the professor's no Dumbledore, but he's at least competent."

Sirius took a breath, "Em and I, Xander, Rain, Harriet where she came from, we all learned to fight, at least competently. But we can't go it alone, even Dumbledore can be taken down if he's alone...and some of you still need to learn things, Patronuses, teamwork, combat spells that they don't dare to teach here."

Chastity looked around and spoke up softly, "We can get attacked even here, with Dumbledore, I did, and they still don't know why or whom...I'm not going to let it happen again if I can help it."

"Yeah," Sirius affirmed and stepped back, to stand next to the fireplace. He warmed his hands for a second, fighting off a sudden chill that seemed to fill his bones, before he looked back at the rest of them. "You all know what this could mean?" A few silent nods answered him. "We aren't going to make you sign a parchment to keep this secret, I doubt that we will have to deal with a visit from Umbridge any time soon." Emilia snorted, having got the joke, while several of the others looked on dumbly.

"When are we going to meet?" Shin asked, shrugging, "We don't want this to get in the way of studies," several of the kids looked at her, "I mean that we can't just show up every morning beat to hell, there will be questions that I don't think that we want answered, even if Dumbledore's in charge."

"Good point," Emilia replied, glancing over at Lawrence, Virginia and Bob. "Do you guys think that you could, happen, to know where a few extra cases of healing potions might be stashed?"

Virginia smirked, "I know where Dad has some in the Hogsmeade store, he'll let us have them, they keep them in stock in case some third-year gets hold of a Fanged Frisbee or something. Em, you know that none of our parents will object that much," she glanced over at Kris, and frowned, "Kris...your mum, might not be terribly chuffed about it...she's..."

"She'll deal, or she can deal with me leaving as soon as I turn seventeen...I'm already sixteen, and Dad's will releases to me then. And I have money, it's not much, but it's enough to get by," she snapped bitterly, and Virginia pulled her into her side, kissing the top of her head as the rest looked on uncomfortably.

"You can stay with us," Lawrence said, reaching over and patting Kris' hand, she gave him a quick smile. Lawrence had become one of her best friends, that were male anyway, especially with his total acceptance of her, and his sister. His comment that "Of course she likes girls, I like girls and she is my twin after all", had only served to tighten the bond between them.

"Thanks," she mouthed and looked back to Emilia, "Sorry, Em."

Emilia shrugged, "What's a day around here without a touch of drama?" she asked wryly. "Anyway, how about three times a week, to work together, as a group and in smaller groups and the rest of the time we can get free we work on spells and such..." She glanced around the nascent assemblage, "Um, Rain, you can take up the weapons stuff, such as it is, I can do spells, along with Sirius, hand-to-hand, we'll see, several of us are more or less trained, but we might find someone better to teach it."

"That's it, really," Sirius went on, "how about next Monday to start off, we'll look at where everyone is with a Patronus, alright?" Several nods answered him and the crowd started to stand, and filed slowly out the door, chatting amicably amongst themselves.

Emilia waited until only her, Sirius, Xander, Harriet and Rain were still there, "Good job, Sirius."

"Yeah, I suppose," he replied with a shrug and started out the door, his hands in his pockets, as he already started to think about Monday.

Emilia watched silently as her brother slipped from the room.

After selecting a pair of books from the shelves lining the walls, Harriet left as well, following Sirius' path quite precisely even though she had not seemed to pay attention as he walked out of the room.

"Still think Christmas?" Xander asked with a faint grin.

Emilia punched his arm with utter precision, with exactly enough force to nudge him but no more, before she took both of his hands and led him back to one of the couches. She pushed him back onto it, before settling herself comfortably into his lap. I did, but they are dancing on the edge all the time. She made a soft, quiet sound as he wrapped his arm around her waist, and started to rub her belly.

She waved her hand behind her towards the fire, stoking it before she reached down to peel off her jumper, leaving her in a loose at the bottom, black t-shirt emblazed with an outline of a pink kitten head set over crossed bones.

"What are you doing?" Xander murmured, looking down appreciatively at the moderate swell of her chest.

"Honestly...making it easier for my fiancé to molest me," she shook her head and rolled her eyes, grabbing his hand that was resting on her waist and slipped it under the hem of her shirt, "That's better," she said quietly, and let her head loll back, accepting a quick kiss from him before relaxing utterly. "This is nice," she whispered, "I want to sleep with you properly, Xan, fall asleep with you after making love for a few hours..."

"You have a rather high opinion of me," Xander laughed. He nodded after a second more and kissed the side of her head, rubbing her belly idly with the other hand, feeling the magic dance between them as his fingers danced along her abs. "How long until Christmas?" he asked.

Emilia took a breath considering the question, "Depends on what you mean," she shrugged, "The Yule Ball is fifty six days away, even though Dumbledore hasn't officially, announced it." Xander snorted, keeping a secret in Hogwarts was like trying to hold water with a colander. Unless you really needed to keep it secret, then there were ways. "Or fifty eight until we go on Christmas hols, or sixty one until Santa flies..."

"I get the idea, smartarse," his affectionate tone destroying any possible hint of rebuke. He let his free hand grasp one of hers and started to massage the back of her hand with his thumb. He sighed and looked around the room, the pair of them falling into silence as the fire crackled in the grate.

Emilia waved her hand, and all of the lights save the fire faded, leaving them in the soft glow of the flames. She wormed back, deeper into his embrace, and half closed her eyes, suddenly lethargic in the warmth and the feeling of being at home, that she had first recognized when she was much younger, and more innocent in every conceivable way. Xander took in a deep breath, smelling her hair, and yawned.

A log popped, sending a line of sparks flying towards them only to fall short by several feet. Xander watched them vanish and die, "How long do you think it will be, Em?"

Sixteen years of knowing each other completed his thought, "I don't know, Xander," Emilia replied honestly. "My parents may be paranoid...and may have made me so as well, but I can't imagine that they will hold off forever...they can't no matter what they are up too...Honestly, I don't know why they launched the attack on Diagon Alley, or the train, all those did was put my parents on the trail...Our parents," she corrected herself without a mental or audible prompt. "But now that we do know that they are still out there, they need to do something to keep us off balance.

"Bella probably got tired of hiding, she's almost like an evil Gryffindor sometimes...I don't think that she liked to hide."

"Bella's not powerful enough to be behind this, Xander...She might give me or Sirius, or you...a run for our Galleons, but not Mum or Dad, or Dumbledore...they'd...what's that saying of Rain's...They'd eat her lunch. Bellatrix is an evil bitch, but she has to know that she's a dead witch walking." Emilia took a breath, "No, there is something here, some reason that they've come out of hiding now."

Xander kissed her hair, and buried his face in her thick locks, Whatever comes, Emilia. No matter where it leads us, I'm with you until the end.

A single tear rolled down her cheek unheeded, I know, Xander, I know.

************************Hogwarts********************************

October 26, 2015
9:10 pm

Sirius panted and fell to his knees, his wand falling from exhausted fingers and rolling away, as a silver shape dissipated, and vanished. He looked around the room as a squadron of black, cloaked shapes wavered and vanished, and the room reset itself to a blank, white room before a comfortable replica of the Gryffindor Common Room snapped into existence.

This version was smaller, however, and as he looked around, to his surprise, he found one other. Sirius watched as Harriet knelt down and picked up his wand. She flicked it at a suddenly appeared coffee table and a large, chilled pitcher of water along with a pair of glasses snapped into existence.

"Are you alright, Sirius?" she asked softly, almost too softly for him to properly hear, but even so, he understood her perfectly.

She gnawed on her lower lip absently as she slipped his wand behind one ear, before she dropped to her knees in front of him. Slowly reaching out, she touched his shoulder, and gasped faintly as a blue spark snapped between them. "You're shivering, Sirius," she murmured, taking his weight as he slumped towards her.

Harriet summoned a glass from the table with another flick of his wand and held the glass to his lips, holding it there as he gulped the water down greedily. She set the glass down, and looked at him worriedly, as she watched as sparkles of magic continued to snap around his fingers. His eyes pulsed rapidly in time with his heart rate.

Taking a long breath, he reached for his wand. Sirius muttered under his breath as Harriet set it down behind her, out of his reach. "I need to practice more."

"You've been doing this for the last hour, Sirius," Harriet replied, moving to block him from his wand. "I think that you've done enough."

"Obviously not," he growled, and moved to try to reach his wand, only to find himself blocked as if she had read his mind. "Damn it, Harriet, I need to practice."

"You need to rest," she demurred, reaching back and pushing his wand further out of the way. "You're already better than anyone else here with that spell..."

He shook his head violently, his eyes hard and glowing faintly as he stood shakily, "That was only ten, Harriet..." he swayed slightly, "Dad drove off a hundred when he was two years younger than me..."

The room shimmered and shrunk slightly, becoming a touch more cozy as Harriet rocked to her feet, "He was saving those he loved, Sirius, your mother and his godfather..." Her hand started to lift to touch him and stopped halfway, before she closed her hand and let it fall. Harriet slipped her hands into the pockets of careworn jeans, bunching up the Gryffindor sweatshirt that Sirius had loaned her last week when an after hours Potions experiment had ruined her uniform shirt. She shrugged, "Of course he did it..."

Sirius groaned and walked over to a tattered couch and flopped down in it, giving up, for now on retrieving his wand. He dropped his head to his hands and sighed, "I don't want to disappoint them again, Harriet," he said, his voice muffled through the filter of his hands. "I can't...what if..."

"You won't," she replied with an utter assurance that made him look up at her, his eyes pleading for some confirmation. She shrugged slightly and reached down, pulling him back to his feet with both hands before she reached back and summoned his wand to her. She slipped it into the sheath riding his thigh, "You don't want to forget your wand; abandoned wands attract Fredrack Weevils."

Harriet nodded to herself knowingly and Sirius snorted, "We wouldn't want that."

"No, we wouldn't...terrible buggers," Harriet half shrugged and glanced to the door, "I missed dinner...will you come with me to the kitchens?" She carefully did not mention that he had as well, though in her case, it was because she had gotten distracted with a fascinating article in the Quibbler.

"Sure," he replied, opening the door for her, and waiting as she passed through to follow. "Why not...I could use a sandwich."

Harriet gave him a small smile, and started off down the seventh floor corridor.

Sirius froze in place for a moment, his movements suddenly stilled as he watched her walk away absently, before he jerked into motion at a look back from her, missing totally the tiny smile that danced across her lips.

****************************Hogwarts**************************

October 30, 2015
10:20 am

The vast castle that was Hogwarts was filled with students learning the perplexities of magic, of Transfiguration, Charms, of smelly Potions and of creatures too odd and insane to be anything but magical. For the vast majority of students, those topics were the only ones that they bothered to concentrate on, any outside events, or ideas, especially Muggle ones were set aside, in their concentration on the events in the castle

Of course the Muggle-born and half-bloods were born to such things, having learned about computers and automobiles and subways and other such things in their childhood, along with their childhood friends, who were as often as not Muggles. And even many pure-bloods were as accepting of Muggles as anyone these days, putting aside the holdovers, of course.

For that reason, Muggle Studies had almost been dropped totally as a course of study, having transformed to a more voluntary seminar type of a class. It was for that reason, on this Friday morning-when most of her friends were still sleeping, training, or somewhere in the vast depths of the Library in the case of her 'sisters'-Harriet Weasley was walking down an abandoned hallway, yawning slightly. She had been up the night before until two, working on a complicated shielding spell with Virginia and Kris, which should be able, if mastered, to protect an entire group from moderate-level attacks. The fact that the spell required at least two, closely-linked witches to perform it, had led to the two of them being chosen, and Harriet had volunteered to help.

Especially, as she had watched Sirius about to volunteer to help the two girls even after practicing sword forms for two hours, and after he had already gone to Quidditch practice.

She closed her eyes for a beat as she stopped to lean against a convenient suit of armor. If she looked closely, she would find scars on the plate, still there after seventeen years.

She straightened, and slung her bag more comfortably on her shoulder. She took a step, not looking up and tumbled backwards as she hit a solid wall that had not been there before.

"What do we have here?" a voice drawled, "It's Potter's little bastard..." a female voice tittered, and the male voice went on, with a rough timbre, "You seem to be all alone, where are your little friends, Weasley?" A pair of masculine laughs answered him, as Harriet pushed her way to her feet, and slowly backed away from the four that had surrounded her.

Harriet glanced to each side, watching as a pair of bookends named Banner Bancroft and Lucas Plessy started to crowd in on each side, moving her back into an alcove, one of the innumerable ones that dotted the hallways of Hogwarts. She looked forward as a girl in a green-trimmed, rather short uniform skirt and a white blouse holding the twisted serpent of Slytherin, took a pair of steps towards her. Her hair was a bright, neon-red, fairly glowing in the slight gloom.

Maraisah Hamilton smiled, and slowly licked her lips, as she reached up and let her fingers trail down Harriet's cheek. "You should be careful, walking all alone...It is such an old castle...who knows what accidents can happen." She looked back over her shoulder at a brown-haired sixteen-year-old, with a slight, perpetual sneer. "Isn't that right, Antares, luv?"

He smirked as he slipped past Hamilton, and stopped only a few inches from Harriet. "Is it true, that all of the Weasleys sleep in one room?" A flicker of something crossed her eyes, as he went on, "Or that you all sleep in one room." One fist clenched at Harriet's side, as her eyes narrowed almost imperceptivity. "Of course you wouldn't know...since you are Potter's leavings and all with that blood traitor."

Maraisah smirked, "Or did your parents tell you that your mummy was really Loony Lovegood...did she tell you that flobberworms painted your hair?"

Harriet looked past the fluorescently coiffed girl, at the smirking face of the Parkers' oldest son, and then at the other two standing, looking down at her with leers deep in their eyes. She took another breath, and a small fist flashed out, crashing into the side of Maraisah's jaw, and sending the Slytherin tumbling to the ground. She dodged to the side, adroitly sidestepping Plessy's punch.

She took a quick step to her left, ducked under a wild swing from Bancroft, dropping to one knee and punching straight forward with all of her weight and quite possibly a bit of magic. He dropped as if his strings had been cut and she dove to the side, as Parker jumped over Maraisah, who was just getting back to her feet, and charged Harriet. "You little bitch," he snapped and punched at her again.

She swatted his punch away, hopped backwards and snapped a kick at the back of his knee, collapsing his leg. He tumbled to the ground, just in time for her to see Maraisah and Lucas draw their wands.

She dropped flat as a turquoise and a yellow curling spell bolt snapped through where her chest had been an instant before. A loud crash came from behind her as both spells shattered a line of armor, and she rolled to the side, coming up with her wand in her hand.

A shimmering, whitish-blue cone ripped back, tossing Plessy back against the wall and freezing him there in an almost solid block of ice, leaving only his head free to scream obscenities at her. A hard downward slash beat a Stunner away as Maraisah recovered enough to fire another spell.

Harriet ducked another curse and snapped her wand out, sending a blue bolt to send Maraisah's wand spinning off into the distance. Harriet stunned her contemptuously, and then Bancroft, almost mercifully, before she stood slowly, holding her wand between herself and Parker, who had drawn his own and was holding the tip on her.

"I'm going to have fun with you, little girl," he snarled, "Dad always told me you little Gryffindor sluts were fun...until you stopped screaming...Let's find out, shall we?"

Harriet cocked her head slightly, "Funny, Mummy said that all of the Slytherins had really small wankers, she is normally right about such things."

He roared, "Plexiao," a green fan shot out at waist height. It splattered against the stone wall behind her, leaving a half-melted, hissing line in the grey stone.

Harriet dove to the left, rolling behind a suit of armor and flicked her wand to the slide, snapping a flaming tendril out at ankle height.

The line snapped around his ankles, and she jerked back, almost like an angler landing a tuna. His feet flew up, sending him crashing to the flagstones with a loud crash and rapping the back of his head on the floor.

She dove out from behind the armor in forward roll, crashing into him and stripping his wand in passing. Harriet scissor-kicked to her feet, and bent over him, holding the tip of her wand very lightly to his Adam's apple. "At least my mother knows who my father was," she said sweetly, as she glared down at him with hard, grey eyes.

Red light filled the hallway, and Parker slumped, stunned.

Harriet straightened, and looked down at her uniform, sighing faintly as she took in the state of her uniform blouse, the dark grey stain she had somehow gained and the long rip almost to her waistband, in her skirt.

"HARRIET," she looked over as Emilia and Rain sprinted around the corner, their wands filling their hands as they saw the scene before them. Rain slid to a halt to one side of Maraisah, the tip of her wand shifting randomly between the incapacitated Slytherins.

"You Gryffindor whor..." Plessy shut up abruptly as Rain flicked her wand and no sound came out.

Emilia stood from checking Parker, and looked at Harriet, "You alright?" Emilia's eyes were glowing faintly and a crackle of magic danced along the upper reaches of the hallway, as she glanced around, and then back at Harriet, taking in the state of her attire.

"I'm thirsty," Harriet replied, shrugging as she paced over to where her bag had fallen, and bent from the waist to pick it up. She reslung the bag and turned back to the other two girls, "Do you think Bob or the twins have any butterbeer left?" She wavered on her feet slightly and both of her friends darted to her side, holding her up.

"We need to let everyone know that the Slytherins are trying to start stuff again," Rain said urgently, looking across Harriet to Em as the pair moved off towards Gryffindor tower with the redhead between them.

"Yean," Emilia sighed, "makes you wonder if they didn't have something to do with Chastity's little 'incident'..."

Harriet's head snapped up, "No...you can't, Em..."

"We have to, Harriet," Emilia retorted quickly, "What if..."

"You can't," Harriet repeated with even more urgency. She swallowed and looked away slightly, "I don't want anyone to get in trouble trying to get back at them," she added softly.

Rain crooked an eyebrow, and Emilia bit her lip, "We have to."

"He'll kill them," Harriet murmured, "he's already in so much pain, I don't want to put him through any more." She looked up at Emilia, "Please, Em."

Emilia took a breath, and looked down again at her sister in all that mattered, and her mind flickered to what would have happened if Sirius had found Harriet like this instead of her and Rain. While his brain might still insist that nothing was between them, Sirius had a great, great deal of his father in him, the same part that had sprinted into a bathroom after a troll twenty or thirty times his size when he was eleven.

"Alright, Harriet...We'll just tell everyone that Maraisah and Parker were playing their usual games and not be too specific, and we'll just tell him you got away alright..." Harriet opened her mouth to object, and Emilia shook her head, "We have to say something, Harriet." Emilia's gaze hardened, becoming the lethal glare, in another's eyes, that had watched as Severus Snape paid for his crimes, "If they want a war, they'll not like the results."

Harriet took a breath and nodded, letting her best friends, other than the one she was mildly afraid of telling of the day's events, lest he get himself hurt, help her away, leading her back towards Gryffindor tower, and home.

A/N: There you go, a touch of S/Har action. Next chapter, Deathly Hallows a few months early and rated a bit higher. :) And a secret about the kids is revealed if you pay attention.

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19. Chapter 18: Deathly Hallows

A/N: Yeah, I still own nothing really. Thanks to Lady Starlight for her work on this chapter. Hmm, I wonder where I got this chapter title....
Chapter 18: Deathly Hallows.
**************************Godric's Hollow********************************

October 31, 2015.
4:20 pm

Hermione blinked rapidly; fighting away the tears she could feel gathering in the corners of her eyes, as she stood on sodden grass, still vibrantly green, even deep into the autumn. A heavy, cold rain fell from steel grey clouds in solid sheets, pasting her hair to her back in soaked, dark-brown ringlets.

She shivered slightly, and wrapped her arms around herself, as nearly freezing rainwater trickled past her drenched collar and down her chest. A crack of lightning ripped the sky above her, and she slowly moved forward, falling to her knees behind a kneeling, dark-haired man with his head down. She slowly wrapped her arms around him, ignoring the cascade of water that tipped down her front from the cup of his lowered hood.

Hermione kissed the crook of his neck, closing her eyes as she tightened her arms, and nuzzled aside drenched black hair, with the tip of her nose. She looked up, past his head, towards the pair of white stones standing silently under the sheltering branches of the beech tree, standing alone at the top of the hill overlooking their house. The crash of waves against an unseen shore came from her right. "We should go inside, Love," she whispered, breaking the silence.

You can go, Harry whispered flatly, shivering slightly in her arms. I'll just stay here.

Hermione took a breath, and closed her eyes. The only warm spot in her universe was where her front pressed against his back, and she pressed into it, focusing her thoughts to his. A shuddering breath slipped past her lips as she wove their minds together, and felt the sorrow filling his thoughts. She reached out, letting an immaterial finger stroke lightly over the surface of his mind. Let's go, Harry, Hermione concentrated, and they vanished, the rain filling in the space they had crouched in.

They reappeared kneeling in the floor of their bedroom. She fell back onto her bum, leaning back against the side of the bed and pulled Harry to her, cradling his head to her chest. Her fingers found his hair automatically, combing it from side to side as he leaned back on her.

Hermione awkwardly shed her dripping coat, and then worked at Harry's likewise wet cloak until she could remove it from him, and toss both garments to the side where they landed with a wet plop. I know, Harry...I know, Baby...

It's bad this year, Mione, Harry muttered, and she just nodded, kissing his head near his ear. It's just that...

Our kids are part of it, and you're scared, she finished for him. Harry nodded silently, Me too, Harry...me too. She toed off her trainers, kicking them towards the closet, before letting her fingers fall to the hem of his jumper. She peeled it off, tossing it vaguely towards the hamper in the corner.

What are you trying to do?

Get you out of these wet clothes, Hermione replied with a faint smile. She eased out from behind him and knelt in front of him. She looked down, running her fingers along his stomach before looking up into his eyes. Fingers trailed upward, running along the center of his chest, before finding their home in the hairs on the back of his head. She leaned in, kissing him, and sat up. Hermione reached down and pulled off her own jumper, with a heated look in her eyes.

Harry watched, feeling his pulse speed up, I love you, Hermione, he murmured, his eyes holding hers, seemingly not even noticing that she had been wearing only a jumper above the waist. Her lower lip took a well-worn path between her teeth as she nodded, and moved to straddle his lap.

Hermione stroked the side of his face, smiling faintly as he leaned into her touch. She bent forward, kissing his nose. The windows to the room shook slightly as the wind shifted, sending the rain hammering against the house. Neither of them seemed to notice as magic filled their eyes, and Harry pulled her down against him, hugging her to him. She closed faintly glowing eyes, hiding her face in his shoulder, and started to slowly nuzzle his neck, nipping lightly at his skin.

A soft, purring sigh slipped from somewhere inside, as she felt the buttons of her jeans undo themselves, and the waistband, already loose, slump down on her hips. Harry let his hands fall, slipping down to cup her arse underneath the cold denim of her jeans. She ground against him instinctively, growling as she felt him react to her, arching up into her hips.

Hermione pulled back slightly, looking up at their bed, and slowed pulled back from him, standing and letting her jeans fall to the floor with a small shimmy of her hips. She bent forward at the hips, her eyes sparkling with amusement as she followed the path of his gaze and pulled him to his feet.

She looked up slightly, wrapping herself to his front as she kissed him. A faint gesture at her side and a rush of wind swirled between them, and vanished, leaving Harry only in a pair of yellow boxers with a large, animated smiley face on the front. Hermione laughed, before pushing him back to tumble onto the bed.

A gesture to a chest set to the side of the bed, and a thick quilt floated up to drop next to Harry. Hermione crawled onto the bed, draping herself over Harry, and reaching up, tangling her fingers in his hair. She dropped her head to his, sighing into his mouth as he pulled the quilt over the both of them. "Thank you, Hermione," he murmured and she shrugged.

Like you wouldn't do it for me, she dropped her lips to his throat, rocking upward enough to cause a faint hiss to escape his lips. She laughed softly, and sat up enough for the quilt to fall back down, only covering their hips.

Harry reached up and traced the lines of her face, watching as her eyes flickered between glowing emerald and deep brown, before they settled into a soft glow. Harry laughed to himself at some thought, and a chestnut eyebrow crooked.

What?

Harry gave a faint shake of his head, Just that I love your eyes...

They are probably glowing right now, Harry.

Yeah, he let his hand slip down, trailing down her side, and sending a shiver dancing down her spine, to pool low in her belly. But it's both, I guess...the brown makes me feel so warm, so safe...but then the other, when the magic just spills out, he smirked, just proves what a randy little girl you really are.

Prat, she gasped, and smacked his shoulder. The glow increased, and she laid back down on him, kissing him. She giggled faintly as Harry rolled them both over and gratefully took his weight as he settled on top of her. Eyes fell half-closed, shuttering the soft glow glinting off his black hair.

Too heavy? he asked as he let his weight fall on her, lips trailing upward from her throat, across her chin to find her lips.

Hermione sighed and let her legs tangle with his, twisting hers around his right, Never. She arched her neck back and to the side, allowing him better access to her throat and purred quietly as his hands started to stoke lightly up and down her sides, occasionally diverting between them, to touch her in the few places they were not almost fused as one.

Lightning cracked the sky outside the window, sending a pulse of blue-white light into the room as it interacted with the defensive wards. Hermione pulled his lips back up to hers, and sighed as she let her tongue dance with his. Fingers trailed slowly down his back; her short nails exploding goose bumps all down his spine. She slowly pushed the tips of her fingers under his boxers and grabbed his arse.

So is that how you want it? he replied, slipping his fingers outward to tangle in the thin straps of her knickers. He twisted them around his fingers as he watched her eyes, more than practiced enough to read every flicker of emotion, even behind the fire of their shared magic.

She shrugged, and kissed him, You know that it doesn't matter...though we haven't done the sitting thing in a while, she added thoughtfully and Harry laughed, and glanced down as she twisted her fingers in the waistband of his boxers and they vanished with a soft POP, to reappear on top of the hamper. They were rather practiced after all.

Harry kissed her, holding her down with just the force of his lips on hers as his hands slid the last vestige of clothing down her hips, and to her knees. His lips left hers, and started to trail down her body, slowly moving down her neck, nipping a path down between her breasts to her belly.

She sighed quietly, almost inaudibly, as he took a moment to tease her navel, and let her fingers fall down to tangle in his hair. His continued on down, slowly sliding her knickers down and off her legs, flinging them over his shoulder to land near the hamper.

"Missed," Hermione breathed, then gasped as he darted forward to kiss the inside of her knee.

Are you sure? he replied, as he slowly nipped up her thigh, causing her to squirm under him, twisting the sheets in her fingers.

That's...no...f....ff...fair, she sputtered, as he slowly moved upwards, almost torturously.

He moved just a touch more, and words failed her, even in her thoughts, as he slowly began to kiss around her lower lips.

Soft, mewling sounds slipped from her lips as Harry started to work faster, letting his tongue out to taste her. She cried out, as his lips slipped a touch higher, and sucked on a small nubbin. "Harrryy," she moaned, and let her legs come up, locking his head in place as her hands rose of their own volition, to play lightly over her nipples.

Small objects, mostly unbreakable, started to float about, lifting from the floor or dresser, as an endless pool of heat filled her core, and her breathing shortened, becoming barely even pants. Eyes fell closed, leaving only the faintest slivers of greenish glows spilling onto the apples of her cheeks, as the sounds from her throat became a low, almost constant moan.

His hand slipped up, dancing along her belly, feeling as her abs fired randomly, and she let her hand slip down to interlace with his. He smirked, and slowly slipped one finger home from his free hand...and she crashed, screaming something vaguely resembling his name as her body arched upward and fire exploded along her nerves.

Harry gasped, as the sensations bled over, filling his mind and almost sending him tumbling after her, as her soul reached forward to grab his, and hold on, pulling him forward into her, even as her body continued to quake under him.

She collapsed back to the bed, panting, and her mind loosened its hold on him slightly. He slowly crawled back up the bed, and kissed her lazily. She growled faintly at her taste on his lips, and kissed him again, before letting her head drop back to the pillows, I t...th...thought I was cheering you up, she thought slowly, her thoughts clearly not all the way back in order.

He slowly stroked wet hair from her eyes, and let his fingers trail down her chest, lingering in the valley between before slipping back up to cradle the back of her head. That did cheer me up...and who said we're done?

A small pink tongue slipped out, running along lips, I'm always glad to help.

I know. His eyes fluttered closed as she reached down and stroked him.

Sit up, she muttered, and watched appreciatively as he sat up, moving until his back was against the headboard. A soft, half smile danced across her lips as she rolled over on the bed and moved to kneel on the bed.

Didn't we...and I mean you in the ' we' part, break a bed last time...doing this...

Are you complaining? a single eyebrow crooked.

No...I'm very good at Repairing Charms.

I know, she replied, as she slowly crawled along the bed until she was kneeling just beside his legs. She brought one knee over his legs, to kneel astride his lap, and took a sharp breath as she slowly ground against him, trapping his member between them. She kissed him as she rose up on her knees, and reached down, taking hold and guiding him, Isn't magic great?

Hermione let herself drop, impaling her body on his with a gasp. Harry groaned, and pulled her head to his shoulder as she started to move, and objects that had crashed to the floor with her previous release started to float again.

She reached down and back, grabbing his hands from her hips and intertwining their fingers, and started to move faster, even as her mind slipped forward, swirling with and joining with his, dropping the normally, almost absurdly low barriers totally separating their minds from each others, to nothing.

Harry groaned as he felt both of their releases starting to build, each feeding on the fire racing down the other's nerves as much as their own.

The bed started to squeak beneath them ominously, as Hermione started to apply more-than-human force to their coupling, and rocked on his lap faster, sending the headboard slapping into the wall. Harry started to move upward to meet her, as much as he could in this position and she pressed her lips to his, feeling the cusp coming closer and closer...Her tongue danced along his lips, slipping inward and moving in time with her hips.

P...please, she sputtered, and he reached between them, touching her and she exploded, crashing down against him as she convulsed on his lap, squeezing him. Her scream into his mouth was joined by his own as he came a moment later. Rocking up into her even as she was still writhing on him. Something shattered in the room, or possibly several somethings, and then silence, except for their labored panting, loud but unnoticed in their ears.

A soft, warm glow filled joined thoughts for a timeless instant, before they slowly pulled apart, enough to remember whose name belonged to which one of them, anyway.

Hermione continued to shudder randomly on his lap for several moments more, as he let the headboard take all of their combined weight, and hands slowly traced up and down her damp back, moving through a still sodden fall of curls.

Damn...

Yeah...

Harry slowly scooted down the bed, still holding her to him, until they were both lying down, her spread on top of him like a rather warm, favorite security blanket. She let her head rest on his shoulder as he continued to stroke up and down her back, blinking slowly, as even her brain had yet to reset.

Harry? she asked finally, and she felt him nod. That was cool...can we go again?

She giggled quietly at the unworded thought that answered her, and he moved his head enough to kiss the side of her head, Alright...I get to pick next?

She giggled again, and a distant corner of her mind rolled its eyes at sounding vaguely like Lavender and Parvati in forth year, but it was beat down by the rest that was rather enjoying the turn of events. Of course, Love, only fair and all.

Good...Harry smirked and rolled them over, draping his body over hers and rising on all fours. Let's see...what shall we do...I know...

**********************************Hogwarts******************************

6:20pm

Emilia tightened her hand in Xander's as they stepped into the Great Hall, and looked around. She absently ducked a flying pumpkin and sent a mental pointer to Xander, pointing towards the black-haired figure sitting at the middle of the table with several of their friends and family clustered around him. As she watched, she could not help to compare the grouping around Sirius to some pack protecting its alpha from some unseen danger.

She looked worriedly at Harriet, sitting across from her brother, her attention fixedly on Sirius. As if she had detected the entrance of the newest pair, which as it was Harriet, she probably had, Harriet turned and met Emilia's eyes. Emilia gulped, as she found her friend's gaze, at the depthless pools she found there, instead of the only vaguely unsettling unfocused look that resided there as often as not.

Emilia took a breath and let her magic free, instead of holding it tightly in check, a trick that her mother had taught her just this summer. She staggered slightly as hundreds of magical presences, ranging from faint sparkles to the nearly blinding presence of Dumbledore at the Head Table filled her expanded vision.

Xander's faint, unconscious growl greeted her ears as she slowly looked to her left, the sudden threat filling her thoughts. She felt a sliver of an unfamiliar smell flicker across her nose and she glanced up and back as she recognized Xander's senses overlaying her own.

She let down a wall that had she had held for a year, since when her mother had handed her and her brother an old leather-bound journal inscribed with the name of their paternal grandmother and said that the lab in the basement had what they needed, if they wanted to follow through on Lily's instructions.

Her vision changed again, colors shifting slightly as her nose flared, and the acrid smell of something tickled her nose. Emilia spun on her heel and nearly sprinted to Harriet and her brother, the clack of her Mary-Janes loud to her ears. "Don't..." Emilia snapped, reaching for a frosted pitcher of Pumpkin Juice set in the center of the table.

"Asperil," Harriet commented in a faint, light voice, "rather a pedestrian attempt, really." She flicked her wand at the offending pitcher and it vanished with a POP. "Though I admit that if I hadn't noticed that it turned the apple black when Sirius spilled a touch," she waved casually at a bright red apple with a charred, black hole burnt all the way through it, "I might have let him drink it."

"Or you," Sirius growled, menace replete in his tone, as he looked over her shoulder towards the Slytherin table, "Only because you insisted that I drink it first." He looked at her, and Emilia gasped faintly as she let her eyes relax into another spectrum, and she watched as the shimmering reddish-gold of her brother's aura reach across the table, flaring until it touched the scintillating rainbow of Harriet's. It drew back almost instantly, and she looked to both of them quickly, neither seemed to have noticed.

Rain looked over at her, from her seat on the other side of Justin, who was sitting to Sirius' right and gave her a small, helpless shrug. Emilia and Xander sat down next to Harriet, and started to look around, taking in her surroundings to gain time.

Flitwick had performed his usual charms on the hall, sending it into an autumn wonderland for the annual Halloween Feast. Large flying pumpkins flitted here and there, carved with the faces of Hogwarts' Professors, Staff and several select students, under a clear, star-studded sky filled with a huge crescent moon, unlike the raging storm outside the castle that had set in over the Isles. Tiny witches and wizards shot across that faux sky on minuscule brooms, occasionally chased by an owl roosting for the night in the rafters.

Up at the Head Table, the Professors were talking to each other, laughing at some joke. All except Dumbledore, who caught Emilia's glance with a piercing look. She felt no probe against her shields, but even still she had an odd feeling that he knew her deepest secrets. She swallowed and looked away quickly, missing him lean over and brush McGonagall's sleeve, who in turn nudged Neville.

"Emilia," Rain said lowly, and Justin, Abigail, Elliot, Chastity and Dan, looked at her searchingly, "they've..."

"What's happened?" Virginia asked, slipping in behind Emilia and dropping on Harriet's other side. She glanced up as Kris sat down across the table from her, and then back at Emilia.

"Bloody Slytherins have tried to poison Harriet or Sirius," Xander snarled under his breath. He looked back over his shoulder in time to catch Parker looking at them hungrily. He looked away quickly as Xander's eyes narrowed, before Xander turned back to the Gryffindor table.

Abigail sighed, almost helplessly and rolled her head around on her neck, producing a soft cracking sound, "So, what's the plan, are we going after them?"

Sirius looked at Emilia and then back at the others, though carefully skipping over Harriet, "I think that its time for a little reminder of what we can do, if we choose to..."

"We can't injure them, Sirius, too much," Em whispered heatedly, though he could read her doubts in her own words in her eyes.

"Why not," he snapped back in return, "what if they had succeeded in hurting Harriet," he did not look over at her, "What if they had..." his voice faded, and he took a breath. His eyes grew hard, cold, and his voice dropped to a near inaudible whisper that still everyone heard that needed to hear it, almost as if it were magic, "They already attacked one of our own," a glance to Chastity, "Probably two of our own for that matter, we can't let them get away with it..."

"We won't...but we can't go to their level," she clenched her fists below the table, "Not yet, Sirius...damn it, I want to rip their throats out," she whispered darkly, "but not yet. We can't be them. This is a little too pat, it has to be a trap of some sort."

"What if they succeed, while we are being polite?" his voice flat. "They crossed the line with Harriet just a few days ago." Emilia closed her eyes for a beat, as he acknowledged that he had known all along.

Emilia licked her lips, "Then they better kill every damn one of us in their first attempt, because Merlin himself won't be able to save them."

Dumbledore stood from the table, and waved for silence, cutting off any rejoinder from Sirius. Emilia looked towards the head table, grateful for the interruption, even as she fought her instincts that were screaming at her to turn and wipe the smirk she could feel directed at her back from Parker's lips-along with a goodly chunk of the back wall-if she used the spells that her brain helpfully, automatically, supplied to her.

"Another year, another Halloween Feast," Dumbledore began, his hands wide behind a golden eagle podium, he gripped the edges. "I hope that everyone has enjoyed the splendid feast provided for us by the Hogwarts Elves, I know that I have." He looked over the sea of students, most of whom were paying at least some modicum of attention to him, "Over the years that I have been at Hogwarts, this feast has become an institution, a time when the houses can come together in celebration of one of the eldest of our traditions."

He waved his hand in front of him, describing an arc over the entire breadth of the hall, and shimmering orange, sparkling lights rained down, shimmering as they hit hair and robes, before fading away. He held up one finger before him, "It is in this vein, that tonight, I announce another celebration, one that we have flirted with over the years, and that I feel should serve to once more bring unity and joy to the houses of this school."

"For this reason, tonight, I am announcing that a Yule Ball will be held on the nineteenth of December, on the Saturday before many of you will return to be with your families for the Holidays. It shall be open to third-years and above, with other activities," he smirked, "and slightly better food, I am told, available to those in their first and second years, or those not wishing to attend."

A loud murmur answered his words as students began talking to each other lowly. Dozens of students gave evaluating glances to others, measuring potential dates up.

Dumbledore nodded and smiled, "I will now let you return to your sumptuous feast, and back to ignoring me." He sat down, and the noise level spiked. Ice blue eyes panned to the Gryffindor table, and watched as Sirius gave his sister another hard look, and stood, walking from the Great Hall tiredly. A head of red hair turned to follow him and started to stand, but stopped at a look back from him and dropped almost bonelessly back to the table, crossed her arms on the table and buried her head in them.

*******************************Canton***********************************

11:15 pm

Remus Lupin smiled at his hosts and leaned back on the comfortable overstuffed couch. He pulled Tonks back into his side, and she tucked her bare feet up under her, reaching down automatically to smooth her skirt over her legs. She leaned forward and took a half-filled glass of merlot from the coffee table and brought it to her lips.

"More?" Roger asked Remus, gesturing with the neck of the bottle in his hand towards another glass sitting empty on the table. Remus shook his head, and Roger sat the bottle back down on a small tray and sat back in the overly large chair that the Grangers had purchased to sit with, with grandchildren. Jane walked from the back room, and squeezed in next to her husband, even though another chair was empty.

"Thank you for having us over tonight, Jane," Tonks said, smiling as she let her head drop to Remus' shoulder, she squirmed slightly as Remus tickled a bare stripe of skin at her waist as her top rode up, glared at him as he looked back with an utterly unrepentant expression and back to Jane. "It was lovely, Wolfie here is such a fan of your Beef Wellington."

"It was our pleasure," Jane replied, shrugging, and trying not to smirk at the look Remus was giving his wife, "I was in the mood to cook and since there aren't any kids or grandkids around here right now, it saved us from leftovers." She frowned slightly and looked away, "I do wish that Harry and Hermione could have come over..."

Remus took a breath, and Tonks reached down, squeezing the hand on her waist, "It's not the best time of year for Harry," Remus mentioned after a moment, quietly, a flicker of pain crossing his eyes. "It's probably for the best that they are alone."

"I'm sorry, Remus, I wasn't thinking, I knew better...I..." Jane said hurriedly.

Remus shrugged, and took a sip of Tonks' wine. He looked up and to the left, and then back at the Grangers, "I've had a very long time to say my goodbyes, but I knew them, Sirius and James for my entire Hogwarts career, and Lily scarcely less...at least I have the memories of them to wrap myself in. Harry doesn't even have that comfort."

Jane started to reply, but froze as both Remus and Tonks stiffened suddenly. Tonks shot to her feet as Remus held up one hand. He stood quickly and his eyes darkened and returned to normal as he shook off the minor alcohol buzz he was feeling from the evening's libations. "We seem to have guests."

"Six of them?" Tonks asked as she concentrated, and her hair shifted, pulling up from the long cerulean tail she had been wearing tonight, to a short, black style. Her loose denim skirt lengthened and split, darkening to a dark grey color, and her long-sleeved top darkened from deep blue to match her hair, to a dark grey.

He started to respond, and then shook his head as a fresh Apparition spike called to him from the wards, "Double that," he growled. He flicked his wand at the lights and they were plunged into darkness, and he looked to Roger and Jane, as his eyes changed and he could see them easily in the dark. His nose twitched, "They have weres with them and...a pair of vamps..."

"Bloody lovely," Tonks growled and grabbed Jane's hand and pulled Jane to her. She flicked a wand at her wineglass, and it turned blue, shook a couple of times and stopped. "Go," she said hurriedly, "I mean it, I'm sending you to the Hollow..."

"Tonks," Roger snapped, "I can..."

"We get paid for this, now go," Remus growled, his voice only partially human. Tonks pushed the glass into Jane's hands, jerked Roger into contact with his wife and they vanished in a rush of wind and fall of color.

Tonks followed Remus as he padded across the dark living room, into the kitchen and to the sliding glass door leading out into the back yard that they and the Grangers shared at the end of a long cul-de-sac near the edge of town. Several acres of dense woods backed the houses, and Remus looked to them as he and Tonks slipped from the house, any trace of awkwardness that might be present in his wife's normal movements utterly gone. A large, fake, second full moon hung low in the sky, directly between the houses, replacing the several days past full one hidden above the thick storm clouds.

The heavy rain that was falling at the Hollow and at Hogwarts was just as much in force here, instantly drenching both of them. Tonks shivered slightly, wrapping her arms around herself, but didn't make a sound as she followed Remus into the night.

Remus sniffed as he and Tonks sheltered in the deep shadows of the lee of the porch, before he reached over and grabbed the back of Tonks' head, and kissed her roughly. She tasted blood as her tongue pricked on his fangs, and she watched as his eyes vanished into depthless pools of black. "They are coming from downwind," he breathed in her ear, "the vamps are young, not even fifty, six weres, four wolf and two, that I think are bear...and four wizards. "

Remus gave her one long, soft look and SHIFTED, growing; changing until an eight-foot tall, bipedal wolf towered over her. Long, ivory fangs hung from an extended, furry muzzle, with serrated claws on the end of human-like arms. Tonks stood as tall as she could, rising on tiptoe behind the cover of the house, and pulled down on the muzzle of the beast.

Totally black eyes looked at her with intelligence not held in any animal's brain and she kissed the side of his muzzle, "Be careful, Remus," she murmured, and he nodded, before padding out into the night, angling for the woods and away from the attackers. Tonks watched him go, before casting several charms on herself, to silence, to take away her smell and to blend into the background. She rolled away, heading in the opposite direction of Remus, and desperately wishing that the various silver weapons that were locked in their arms cabinet were not on the other side of the attackers.

************************Godric's Hollow*******************************

Hermione stretched and rolled more comfortably against Harry, moving until she could press every possible inch of available skin against him. She smiled and let her eyes slip closed as she basked in his warmth, wrapping both of her arms around him as she tucked her head under his.

Harry sighed contently, and pulled the quilt up, covering her to her neck, and himself to about mid-chest. Long fingers slowly started to comb gently through her hair, still damp from their intermittent activities since this afternoon. He glanced over to the side, and hid a tiny smirk at the silver tray floating off to the side. Neither he nor Hermione had left the room since this afternoon, Dobby had appeared silently as they lay together, basking, and left a more than sufficient dinner for them both, before vanishing again without a word.

There was a reason that the Malfoys had prized Dobby...even as they had abused him.

The storm still raged outside, with occasional flickers of lighting crashing across the sky, silently, as Hermione had charmed the window to cut off the sound of the thunder. "Harry," she murmured after a few silent minutes had passed.

"Umm," he replied as his other hand slipped down under the covers to rest just at the top of her bum. She squirmed languidly for a moment and settled back down with her legs intertwined with his.

"Can we stay here until Monday?"

"Whatever m'lady wishes."

"Good."

Hermione's head snapped up, as a vortex of energy slipped through the wards, and erupted in their living room. She rolled from the bed without a word, snagging a long-sleeved t-shirt of Harry's from the hamper in passing and pulled it on in mid stride, barely taking time to pull it down enough to cover her bum as she headed out the door to the bedroom and sprinted towards the stairs.

Hermione let out a small, shocked sound as she found her parents standing in the middle of the living room. Jane was still clutching a wineglass, as she looked up to find her daughter already halfway down the stairs. "They're attacking the house, Remus and Tonks went out after them...." Jane trailed off as Hermione vanished and reappeared in their bedroom just as Harry was pulling on a pair of blacks and stepping into boots.

"I heard," he said, and waved his hand towards the closet, sending her own gear rocketing to her. She pulled on the pants and just transfigured the shirt to a dark grey, before tying her hair back with as her weapons belt floated over and fastened itself around her hips.

She stepped into her boots, they laced themselves, before she grabbed Harry's outstretched hand, and the pair vanished. They reappeared next to Roger, making him jump backwards. Hermione checked the fit of her wand holster, "Stay here," Harry muttered a liquid series of syllables behind her under his breath and outside the house, the wards over the house became visible, shimmering as scintillating sheets of light danced across the surface of the half dome over the top of their house and grounds. "The wards are on lethal, only us, Remus and Tonks and the kids can get in now...unless Ron and Luna decide to get their arses back."

"If we aren't back in an hour or two, contact Albus and have him evacuate you to Hogwarts...and keep the kids from coming after us," Harry added darkly, grabbed Hermione's hand once more and the pair vanished.

****************************Canton*************************************

Only the occasional flicker of light from a lighting bolt broke the darkness outside the pair of houses occupied by the Grangers and Lupins. Even the false moon the intruders had called did little to part the darkness. Several dark shadows moved across the sodden grass, splitting into two groups, six hulking forms, and a small, svelte, obviously female shape turned towards the Lupins, while three, lead by a tall, almost scarecrow-like figure turned to the Grangers. A final pair remained between the houses, holding wands pointed towards either house.

None of the attackers had felt the characteristic flicker of energy when the Portkey had executed, the skill unknown to any of them, and the wards, which unbeknownst to them had just become lethal, owed them no allegiance.

Tonks crept along a low spot in the yard, crawling through a near stream that cut between the houses that Remus had been supposed to fix for ages. She bit her lip, as the trio headed to the Grangers' stepped almost over her, and she turned to watch as they approached the Grangers' house. A flash of lightning lit the face of the one in the lead, the tall, skinny male, revealing fangs already extended past his lip. She looked down, searching for a stick or something in the gloom to transfigure to a stake, but frowned, as she found nothing usable.

The wizards with him lifted their wands towards the house and her time was up. Tonks rose silently on her knees, and her wand lifted in an unconscious smooth motion that she could have never equaled on any other day, one not helped along by the adrenaline that steadied her nerves, instead of made them jittery as with the majority of the population. Her wand bucked twice, sending hissing blue bolts of plasma downrange, and sending splashes of gore to coat the already sodden raiments of the vampire in the center.

He turned with a hiss towards her, and leapt, covering the twenty meters to her in pair of long bonds. Tonks dove to the side, dodging out of the way, her invisibility moot at this distance after she had given herself away. A terrible roar came from behind her as Remus engaged several weres in a running battle, but she did not dare to turn as the vampire charged her.

A harried wand flick batted away a pair of Cutting Curses from the pair in the center, and Tonks spun, backing quickly as she ducked under a strike by the vamp, and tumbled backwards over a root sticking up from the yard. The vampire chuckled darkly as it started to advance on her slowly. It flickered out of the way of another Reductor, and gathered itself to pounce.

A soft whistle came from behind him, and he spun...Just in time to see a flicker of blue fire as the Sword of Gryffindor lopped off his head. A rain of fire exploded in the darkness as he immolated and Harry dove forward through the fading flames, and pulled Tonks to her feet without breaking stride.

The pair of Death Eaters in the center started to rain a staccato beat of spells towards them. Harry blocked a torrent with a flick of his wand and dove behind a large, concrete bench set under a birch tree.

The Death Eaters took a step forward. The leftmost staggered as a silver blade appeared out of the darkness, and economically slit his throat, even as a second silver blade flashed past his face to bury itself hilt deep in his partner. Hermione called her blade to her hand and vanished, reappearing across the yard, at the edge of the woods, behind a tall oak.

Harry appeared one tree over at the same instant, and took a breath. He ducked around the tree and back, Remus has three of the weres chasing him, three more headed towards his house, and two DE's with them. He touched his ear, "Tonks, do you have comms?"

Silence answered him, and he gave Hermione a quick headshake.

Hermione gave her head a hard shake to flick a loose, soaked tendril from in front of her eyes, Take the vamp with them on the way in?

Depending on who that is, they could be more dangerous than all the weres combined, Harry reminded her, and she sighed.

Her eyes light from within, even more so than the normal green glow...She's mine...

Alright, Harry whispered, and glanced over, holding her eyes for a second that seemed to take an hour, Next year...I don't care if Dragons are running around in my garage...we are going to the beach house for a week over Halloween.

It's a date, she whispered back, I love you, Harry...go...

Harry vanished and reappeared fifteen feet back of the weres and vamps who were turning to ambush Remus as he fought three of the wolves. Remus caught one and tossed it thirty feet through the air to smash through Roger's tool shed, and Harry's wand came up, tracking...and a torrent of silver darts rent the night, shredding a wolf leaping for Remus' back.

A flicker of movement erupted to Harry's right, and he flipped sideways, as huge, man-wolf crashed into the wet turf. An arrow of fire shot past Harry's shoulder, impacting the remaining vampire and sending her flying back through the shrubbery, aflame, and screaming. The line of fire slowed, revealing a blue and red phoenix, which SHIFTED in mid-air to reveal Hermione tumbling into a forward roll.

She exploded out of the move, hopping upwards, dodged to the side and a silver blade snapped out, slicing up across a furred throat, dropping a werewolf to the ground holding its chest. A dark roar answered her, and a huge paw smashed into her side, sending her crashing into the back porch.

Harry ducked a swipe of claws, and glanced over as he felt Hermione's silent scream of pain. He spun in place as the werewolf swiped at his head, seemed to crumple and stabbed straight up with the Sword of Gryffindor, his right hand cupping the but and forcing the tip upward with a loud crunch, driving the blade through the soft palate into the were's brain. Harry jerked it free and sprinted towards Hermione in a blur of motion.

The werebear roared and charged at Hermione, a flicker of dark movement to its left, it turned just in time to see a blur sprint at the porch, leap, bound off the wall six feet up, and flip backwards over its head.

Harry sliced sideways as he landed and the huge were fell to the ground with a loud thump, shaking the ground behind beneath him. A loud crunch came from over to one side as Remus dealt with the last werewolf that Hermione had wounded, leaving only the last werebear roaring at them.

Tonks had already extinguished the Vampire and bound her with silver cables, and joined Remus.

Hermione smirked slightly and spun, flicking her wand at the false moon and it vanished. The were roared as it shrunk, changing slowly to a burly, bald man. "What are you going to..."

Hermione spun, her right foot coming up and clipped him precisely behind the ear. The were tumbled to the ground and Hermione looked over at Harry with a small, darkly-satisfied look in her eyes.

Remus changed as he stalked up to them, and Hermione carefully didn't look down, as Remus' clothing had not survived the transformation.

Tonks didn't even seem to notice as she dropped to her knees at his side and started to probe at a deep gouge at his hip.

Harry reached over and pulled Hermione to him carefully, feeling the damage to her side though their link without even looking. Alright?

Get me home, Hermione replied, shaking slightly as she let her magic slip away and the pain started to register. She reached into a pouch on her belt and flipped open her mirror.

The tired face of a dispatcher that had dealt with pranks all night, looked back at her. She snapped to attention as she recognized Hermione's face, and noticed the thin trickle of blood at the edge of Hermione's scalp. "I'm at Chief Auror Lupin's residence, we have sustained an attack here...scramble reinforcement teams to the Minister and alert Hogwarts."

"Inbound," the young blonde replied after leaning to the side and shouting something unheard in the mirror.

Hermione glowered at the unconscious were for a few moments, pausing only to flick her wand to the side to reinforce Tonks' bonds on the vampire as she heard her struggling.

Tonks conjured a set of blacks for Remus, clothing him and concealing the white bandage she had bound his side with.

Remus muttered something under his breath, flicking his wand in the air and his wards shifted back to normal mode, and a minute later, ten closely spaced CRACKs and POPs filled the night, and armed...and annoyed Aurors spilled into the night.

"Go, Harry," Tonks said quietly, "we'll deal with these in the morning..."

Harry tightened his arms and vanished, pulling Hermione with him and back home.

********************Godric's Hollow******************************

Harry and Hermione reappeared in the middle of the living room, and Jane immediately jumped to her feet from the couch. Roger stood as Hermione took a breath, and Harry let go. "No, Mum," Hermione said tiredly as Jane started to question them, "the house is fine, so are Remus and Tonks...we're just going to go to bed...The guest...Harriet's room, is made up...we'll see you in the morning, alright?"

Jane just nodded as Hermione wrapped her arm around Harry's waist and let him lead her up the stairs. A soft thump came back down as the door to the bedroom closed, and Jane looked back at Roger helplessly, letting him hug her. "You heard her, luv, everything will be better in the morning."

A/N: There you go, did you catch the kids secret, at least this one. It will be important later. Next chapter: Interview with a Vampire.

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20. Chapter 19 Interview with a Vampire

A/N: Back in the saddle again...Thanks as usual to Lady Starlight, and congrats to her on getting the first of her own stories up. If you haven't checked it out, go do so now. http://fanfiction.portkey.org/story/7155

Chapter 19: Interview with a Vampire
***************************Godric's Hollow****************************

November 1, 2015
8:35 am

The sun shone into the room through open curtains, flooding a comfortable, large bedroom in soft, yellow light, illuminating a bed with a pair of slumbering forms. A trail of dark clothing, boots, weapons and equipment led from the door to the bed, ending with a sheathed sword lying half-propped against the nightstand.

Harry's arms were wrapped tightly around the smaller form nestled against him, his back to the door as if to shield her from whatever might come at them from that direction. Hedwig sat on her perch next to the window, watching over them, her head swiveling occasionally to take in every corner of the room. She looked down, as a furry streak seemed to phase through the closed door, and leapt to the bed with two long bounds.

A loud purring sound came from somewhere next to Harry's head and he blearily opened his eyes, turning his head from its nest in Hermione's hair to look back over his shoulder. Crookshanks cocked his head slightly, and motioned back, towards the door. The smell of cooking food reached his nose, and Harry snorted faintly, as Crookshanks patted his shoulder with a paw, and hopped down, pacing over to the door and looking back up at Harry.

Harry waved at him, and the cat passed through a solid-seeming door as Harry turned back to his wife, sitting up slightly and slowly drawing her hair back so he could see her face. He swallowed heavily as he let his eyes pan down her body. A deep blue and purple bruise covered her left side, outlining her ribs, and he frowned, stroking her arm absently. We should probably get up, Mione.

She stirred and opened her eyes slowly, stretching and hissing in pain as she pulled at her ribs. She sat up, resting her back against the headboard, letting her head fall forward and her hair cover her face. I suppose that we should talk to my parents, she muttered, sighing. And we should go into the office...

You don't have to, Love, Harry objected as he slipped from the bed, stepping over the mess on the floor to slip into jeans and a jumper, before looking back to the bed, to find her looking up at him, and brushing her hair back from her eyes with one hand.

She gave him a half-hearted glare, before sliding from the bed, and slipping over to him, only favoring her side slightly. Pausing, she leaned against him for a moment, reaching up to pull his face to hers. Hermione pulled away from the kiss, and leaned her head on his chest before moving to the dresser, and digging in her drawer. She pulled on a black thong marked with "Brainy Girl" on the front in white, before retreating into the closet.

She emerged, dressed in a mid-thigh length black skirt, and pulled on a very soft jumper as he watched, concern in his eyes. She shook out her hair and crossed to their discarded gear, and pulled her wand from the drop-leg sheath on her wandbelt, and dropped it on the bed. Hermione sat on the bed, and drew a wand sheath from the cabinet, strapping it on under her skirt and slipping her wand into it before standing and stepping into a pair of low boots that were waiting for her. You know that I do... She slipped across the room, and took his hand, interlacing her fingers, and pulling him to the door.

I'll be alright, Hermione, if you're not with me for one day, you could stay here.

She smiled slightly and kissed his cheek, You get into far too much trouble on your own. Hermione opened the door with a gesture and pulled him along out into the hall and down the stairs.

Remus will be there, Harry objected as they reached the bottom of the stairs.

He's worse than you, she objected, grinning and kissing his nose, adroitly hiding the flicker of pain, at least from her face. Let's go, Harry.

As they stepped into the kitchen, Jane looked back from the rangetop, where she was busy scrambling a large batch of eggs. Her eyes frowned as she watched Hermione cross to the kitchen table and drop heavily into a chair. Harry sat next to her, pulling his chair over until it touched hers. "How are you, honey?" Jane asked quietly, carrying a plate full of eggs over and setting it on the table in front of her daughter.

Hermione shrugged, and scooped a batch of eggs onto a plate, garnishing it with couple of strips of bacon, before handing the lot to Harry. She looked back as he cocked his head slightly and she frowned, before fixing herself a second plate, and taking a bite of bacon. Harry leaned over and kissed her temple before starting in on his own breakfast.

"I'm fine, Mum," Hermione muttered, with all of the annoyance that a thirty-six-year-old Witch could project towards her mother, even if she looked closer to a twenty-one-year-old Muggle than anything.

Jane wisely dropped the subject and took a sip of coffee, glancing over out of the corner of her eye at Roger, "Remus called this morning, he said we could return to the house tomorrow, something about not wanting too many feet trampling around while they looked for clues. It's alright if we stay here?"

"Sure, Mum," Harry answered for the both of them, finishing his coffee and tapping the rim with one finger. The mug refilled itself and he rapidly ate his eggs, not even looking over to see that Hermione had finished hers. He stood, and fed Hermione an extra strip of bacon, grinning faintly at the brief, heated look she gave him as she nipped it off just short of his fingers, before he carried the plates to the sink where they started to wash themselves.

Hermione gave her parents a hug, and joined him next to the sink, "We need to go in; we'll probably see you for supper."

Jane watched as Hermione wrapped her arms around Harry and they vanished silently between eyeblinks. Jane sighed and walked to the coldbox, peering in. "Let's see what there is to fix for dinner."

Roger snorted and stood, kissing the top of her head she started to rummage through the appliance, and headed to the living room to see if the satellite was actually working today as no hormonally-imbalanced grandchildren...or their parents, were home to send errant magic into the air.

***************************Ministry of Magic*****************************

Harry and Hermione appeared outside of Lupin's office and knocked. They waited for a moment, until Lupin's secretary, Teresa Blake, stuck her head out from her adjoining office.

The twenty-year-old girl, only a few years out of Hogwarts shook her head, sending her short blonde bob dancing, "Fred and George are here," she explained, "they are down at the range."

"Thanks," Harry replied and took Hermione's hand, and vanished again, leaving Teresa still shaking her head.

They reappeared several stories below the courtrooms, in the extensively refurbished catacombs that were once Voldemort's near-successful pathway into the Ministry in the last war. Now extensively reinforced, and isolated behind layers of armor and wards, they had become the site of armories and a smaller version of the training facilities at the Auror and Special Operations Academy located on the Channel.

Harry nodded to a grizzled old wizard manning a desk near the entrance of a long hallway that led into darkness. He motioned over his shoulder with his thumb, and without asking, tossed them two pairs of earmuffs, without a word of explanation.

Harry shrugged as he looked back to Hermione and led the way down the hallway, pushing through a door emblazoned "Authorized Personnel Only," in blood-red lettering, in English, Gobblygook, Latin, French, Spanish, German, and Mermish. Harry had not even known that Mermish was a written language before he started at the Ministry, nor did he know why it was in use, most likely some obscure regulation whose source was lost to time.

Five people stood, looking back at them from next to a vaguely tubular-shaped apparatus set horizontally on a steel tripod. A faceted, blue crystal was attached horizontally on top and was glowing softly in the dim room. As Harry approached closer, and waved idly to the twins, he could see that the cylinder was not solid, but composed of what appeared to be six overly-long, carved wands mounted in a cylindrical frame about a central core to point in the same direction, with a half-dozen silver bands holding them together in their bundle. A seventh, half-sized, wand-like object was mounted above them pointing along the long axis of the cylinder.

Harry looked to Remus and Tonks, and then to Wendell, who was looking on with a vaguely amused expression. "What are you doing here?"

"Wanted to be at the scene of the crime before hand, saves me the time when these two," motioning towards the Twins, "blow up the place."

"O' ye of little faith," said Fred, walking up and throwing his arm around Hermione's shoulders. "You alright, little sis?" he asked almost gently. Hermione nodded, and gave him a quick smile, and he smiled back, before waving to his twin who was standing with his hand on their newest toy. "George?"

"Fred and I were thinking..."

"Merlin help us all," Tonks muttered, not at all quietly.

George acted as if he had not heard her, except for the brief flash of his tongue towards her. He rested his hand on the crystal on top of the device, patting it a couple of times, "We were looking into something new, to defend against intrusion, especially after that bit of trouble in Colombia last year with that nest of Inferi." He patted the topmost large wand analogue.

"As you know," Fred went on, "Normally, it takes a wizard or witch to summon the magic for a spell and then focus it through a wand, where it acts as a amplifier and focusing object. However a lot of the difficulty with a wand, is that by its very nature, it's a complicated magical item, they have to be able to normally cast all sorts of spells from housekeeping charms to all-out combat spells...but what if you didn't need that flexibility, what if you just needed power?"

George grinned, and rubbed the crystal on top again, and then pointed towards another two crystals sitting on the ground next to the tripod. One was shimmering with a liquid silver color, and the other throbbing with a bright red-gold. "So far we've just managed to get three spells working, Reductor, Flame and the Argentium Penatartum. Verity thinks that the Ripper should be doable and would be even more effective, but we've had trouble getting the spellforms to coalesce coming out the accumulators."

Fred waved towards the far end of the range, where a half-dozen giant yellow chickens stood, trembling. Hermione looked to him, and he shrugged, "Don't worry, they are just Golems, Hermione..."

Fred slipped on a pair of heavy earmuffs, and waited as the rest did likewise before he touched the contraption with his wand. A bright red beam snapped out of the small wand on top, pointing down towards the chickens, and the other six wands started to spin in a blur around their common central axis. He touched a glowing rune on the back...and the room vanished in actinic light.

A loud roaring hiss, filled their ears, even through the muffs, as a pulsing stream of blue hosed the targets downrange, with snapping explosions every few milliseconds, complementing the roar of the weapon. The glow of the crystal on top slowly faded until after seemingly endless minutes, but probably only a few, it went black, and the streams of spellfire stopped.

The wands continued to rotate, smoking slightly for another minute until they stopped, to leave only the ozone smell of spellfire, and the flaming remnants downrange.

Remus whistled softly, and looked to Fred.

Fred smirked slightly, "That is of course, manual control, they can also be interfaced with Detection and Intrusion Wards to provide a active defense. We are also working a smaller version that should be man-portable."

"Joke shop," Harry said, shaking his head.

"That is only the merest extent of Weasleys' Wizarding Enterprises," George replied, grinning, "as one of our largest shareholders, you should know that, Harry."

Remus sighed, "Write up a prospectus, on what it would take to provide an active defense for the usual high security sites, along with a few floaters." Fred and George grinned, and just waved as Remus turned, still shaking his head and led Tonks, Harry and Hermione out of the room. They tossed their muffs in a box next to the guard, and boarded a newly installed lift, and started to drop even further into the earth.

"Anything from the pair we got last night?" Hermione asked as the lift shuddered to a halt and the door opened onto a small white room.

A plain steel door sat opposite the lift, with a window next to that, behind which a guard sat attentively. The room was otherwise empty save for a bare wire bench, designed to be as uncomfortable as possible.

Remus shook his head and nodded to the guard, a buzzer sounded and they slipped through the steel door into another hallway. "The were knew nothing, as usual, I suppose, the vamp...she's a different box of Kneazles, I suppose." He looked speculatively at Hermione; "It might be best if Hermione interrogates her, Harry."

Harry crooked an eyebrow, but they followed Remus into a small room. His questions were immediately answered as Remus touched a glowing rune on one wall and the wall seemed to vanish, to show the near-featureless interior of a Ministry holding cell.

The interior was pure white, with no discernable difference between the walls, floor and ceiling. A pair of faded black and white striped robes were flung on the floor, below a pure-white shelf serving as a bed.

Remus' concern was obvious as Harry and Hermione looked at the occupant of the cell.

The female vampire, a lithe brunette with dark, nearly black eyes, was stretched out along the bed like a large cat, facing the wall. She was totally nude, her clothes destroyed in the fire damage she had sustained last night, though not a trace of a wound marred her body now. She smiled towards the wall, and let a pink tongue slip out to dance along lips and to suggestively caress the tips of her fangs as she cupped a breast with one hand and laughed, though the sound was cut off from the observation room.

Harry turned to his friend, and made a small questioning gesture.

Remus shrugged, "Oh, it's not that I think that she could even draw your eye for a bit, hell even Veela don't phase you...but she has a touch of succubus in her, she already damn near seduced a pair of the younger Aurors, Tonks had to go in and drag them out."

"I don't suppose that she likes the robes we gave her?" Hermione replied wryly. She sighed and rolled her shoulders, before she reached up under her skirt and handed her wand to Harry. She kissed his cheek quickly and walked from the room without another word.

A moment later, Hermione appeared in the room without ever seeming to walk through a door. Hermione did not look back at Harry, even as he stepped to the one-way wall and touched another glowing rune, causing sound to fill the room from the cell.

Hermione looked down at the vampire as she slowly stood, more or less coming to Hermione's eye level, putting aside the low boots the Archmage was wearing. Hermione leaned back against the wall, and glanced down, smirking slightly. "Cold, luv?"

The vampiress stalked across the room to Hermione and leaned close, moving until her breasts, were just, barely, not brushing across the front of Hermione's jumper. "You could warm me up," she murmured, her eyes going even darker, as the hint of fangs showed at her lips.

Hermione brushed aside the flicker of power that she felt dance across her aura. She waved and a table appeared, along with a pair of chairs. She sat in the furthest and crossed her legs, leaning back slightly. Hermione idly scratched at her leg, next to the end of her empty wand holster as she watched the vampiress lick her lips and start to pace over, her stride every bit as predatory as any large cat's.

Hermione waited, as the other woman started to lean over the table, and sighed quietly, "Give it a rest and sit your arse down, dear, I'm married, and even if I wasn't, you're not my type."

"Just because I don't have a penis? You're missing out on a lot..."

"I meant breathing."

Hermione gestured to the empty chair and it shot under the vampire, knocking her from her feet and dropping her neatly into the chair. "What were you doing last night?"

The vamp leaned back in her chair crossing her arms over her chest, "Going for a walk."

"Yes," Hermione waved her hand over the table and a steaming mug appeared. She picked it up and took a sip, watching her over the rim. "One often decides to take a walk in late October at night in a thunderstorm in the company of Werewolves, Werebears, and Dark Wizards, in the yard that just happens to be one shared by the Chief Auror, the Head of Auror Intelligence and my parents." Her demeanor hardened, her eyes narrowing slightly as a faint smirk fell across the vampire's lips.

"Why, luv, don't tell me that you still care for your genetic donors," she murmured, and let her eyes flicker down and then back up. "I see that you are cold as well, are you sure that you wouldn't want to warm me up?" She looked past Hermione's shoulder towards the blank wall, "I'm sure that they would enjoy the show."

"I'm sure they would," Hermione agreed, her eyes holding the vamps'. She stood and walked to the wall, with a faint smile. "Thank you, I enjoyed our chat."

She vanished and reappeared next to Harry in the next room. He touched the rune again and the wall faded to opacity, and let her nestle against him, as only Remus and Tonks were present. She buried her head in his neck, as he carefully wrapped his arms around her, missing her bruised side. You alright?

Hermione nodded, her face still pressed to his shoulder, It's always so...something in their heads...I mean, you or I...or Remus, even Tonks to a bit, we're predators, for lack of a better term, but it's different. "I didn't get anything really from her," Hermione announced, her voice still muffled by Harry's jumper. "Just three names, Kendal, Sarah, and Olga...they seemed important...they were at the front of her mind...spouses or lovers, I would suppose from the other emotions associated with them." She shrugged and turned in Harry's arms. "No faces, though."

"It's more than we had before," Remus replied, shrugging. He watched as Hermione continued to shiver slightly in the dungeon, and sighed internally as he watched the secondary effects of her magic starting to heal her. "Go home, it's Sunday, anyway...I'll add the info to today's morning brief and we'll go home as well."

Hermione looked as if she was going to argue, and looked back and up at Harry as he obviously said something in her mind. "Alright," Harry replied and they vanished, leaving Remus and Tonks to walk back to the lift and to their offices.

*****************************Hogwarts*********************************

2:25 pm

Emilia watched, vaguely fascinated, as Virginia and Kris snuggled closer on the couch, the redhead letting her hand fall down to cup Kris' bum possessively. Virginia pulled a tartan blanket from the back of the couch over them, covering all but Kris' head as the slightly shorter girl tucked her head comfortably under Virginia's chin. The young Weasley gave Em a tired grin, and yawned, before kissing the top of the brunette's head and leaving her lips there as she let her eyes fall closed.

A moment later, Em could tell that both girls were sleeping, mostly from the flutter of Virginia's Weasley-red hair, which so oddly complimented her café-o-latte skin. And was even more amazingly, natural. Emilia dropped her head back to an old, tattered, leather-bound notebook, and continued to slowly page through the writings of a woman that she had never met. She closed her eyes for an instant at the thought, she would have given almost anything to have the chance to talk to Lily for a few minutes, but it was not to be.

Emilia looked up, startled, as a soft noise came from next to her, even though she had felt Harriet come down the stairs and stop next to her. "Is that it?" Harriet whispered, almost reverently, and Emilia nodded.

"Yeah," she murmured, even though the only other two in the room were Virginia and Kris and they were both sound asleep. "The Potter family cheat book...the potion instructions are inside, as are the needed spells and such...I can help you with the potion but the rest is up to you." She extended the book to Harriet but did not let go as the other girl grabbed onto it, "Are you sure that you want to do this? It is dangerous." Emilia's eyes narrowed, "No one, would think less of you if you didn't."

"You and Rain and...Sirius are," Harriet replied quietly, and Emilia nodded.

"Yes," she took a breath and let go of the book, watching as Harriet tucked it to her chest, folding her arms over it. "But Rain did hers totally differently, some vision quest thing with her mum's side."

Harriet shrugged, and her eyes flickered upward, towards the stairs opposite the ones she had come down, "It might help."

"Honestly...it might," Emilia confirmed. Harriet just gave her a small smile and turned, retreating back up the stairs she had arrived from and Emilia sat back on the couch, her mind flickering towards the Quidditch pitch where she could feel Xander practicing with Sirius' help, her brother more help than she could be, as she was an absolutely hopeless Chaser, even her Mum could beat her in that position. Xander shot an inquiry back as he felt her attention focus on him for a moment, and she sent a mental shrug his way, and retreated from his thoughts.

Emilia looked over as a shadow moved, and resolved into a sleek black cat, eight-feet-long nose to tail if it were an inch. Large, expressive ears twitched, as deep blue eyes held hers for a moment. The cat padded over to Em, its mostly-retracted claws, which were incongruously painted a deep Gryffindor red, clicking softly on the flagstone. The black puma stopped next to Virginia and Kris, pausing to sniff at them, and looked over to Emilia, with a large, cat grin.

The cat stopped in front of her and sat, looking up. Emilia watched, quietly, as the cat's body, compacted, folding back in on itself, and the night-black fur retreating, as the cat rapidly vanished to be replaced by her other best friend, more or less. Rain looked around for a beat with cat-pupiled blue eyes for a moment longer as cat ears twitched from where they stuck out from her hair, before she took a breath and her pupils rounded, and the ears retreated, vanishing beneath her raven-wing hair.

She reached up and brushed her hair behind her human ear with her left hand, flashing red-painted nails before crossing her legs in front of her to sit Indian style. She looked down at her lap, pulling on her skirt to cover her, and back up, "We need to help her, sis."

Emilia sighed and slipped down from her seat on the couch to sit on the floor in front of it. She leaned back against the front of the seat and waited as Rain moved to sit next to her. Her head flopped over, to lightly rest on Rain's, which fell towards hers at the same instant.

They sat together like that for several silent instants, exactly like a pair of large kittens cuddling together. Emilia sighed, and watched as Virginia muttered something in her sleep, stirring for a beat, as Kris adjusted her position unconsciously and the pair settled back down. "You know I love you, right, Rain?"

"Yeah," Rain muttered, "I know."

"I mean you're my sister..." Emilia muttered, "but she is too...and I don't just mean if she and my dumbarse brother finally suss out what's up with them. But she's going to have to do most of that by herself. She's brilliant, she'll be alright."

"What about her and Sirius?" Rain whispered, looking up towards the stairs where Harriet had retreated. Gaheris padded down as she looked over and crossed the room, leaving out the portrait hole to explore.

"I don't know what to do, Rain," Emilia admitted after a moment's consideration, "He's scared. Not for himself, he's so afraid that he will get her hurt...and he's as stubborn as Dad or Mum ever were."

"Then how do they do it...hell, why haven't you done the same thing, run and hide from Xander...I've heard your nightmares, Em."

Emilia snorted, "Mum and Dad, are a team, I don't think that they can function any longer without the other. It's not the telepathy, or magic, in a conventional sense, they just are..." She shrugged and pulled away from Rain, looking over at the other black-haired girl, "Speaking of that topic, how are you and the young Mr. Black, doing these days?"

Rain just grinned and sat up, hugging her knees to her chest. Her face fell slightly, and a flicker of...something, danced across her eyes. "If we were Muggles, we'd probably wouldn't even be thinking of anything past tomorrow," she said quietly. "I'm scared of what we are, Em."

"He hasn't?" Emilia said quickly, lowly.

Rain shook her head, "No...that'd be me if anyone...you know us aggressive Gryffindor girls...We've only been going out, what, almost two years?"

"Maybe Godric really did curse us all to hook up before we leave here?" Emilia mused and Rain laughed softly. "You remember when we were eleven and you'd stay over at the Hollow for the last week before school, and we'd have sleep overs and never sleep?" She laughed suddenly, "Remember when you had just learned to transform...and changed back right in front of Dad...and forgot to bring along your clothes?"

"Thanks," Rain muttered, "thanks, I had almost managed to forget that." She stood, in a slight, poorly faked huff and crossed her arms as she looked away from Em.

Emilia giggled as she stood, and wrapped her arm around Rain, before kissing her cheek, and dancing away as Rain swiped at her. "Come on, Rain, let's go see if Harriet has managed to get through the equations in the first chapter yet."

*****************************Cardiff************************************

November 3, 2015.
10:25pm

"Let them in, Lucian," Kendal said very quietly, looking up at his Werewolf Alpha, among other things, from behind steepled hands. He sat at a dimly lit table, in the very back corner of the abandoned club he had appropriated months ago. A steaming crystal goblet of clear red fluid sat before him, on an otherwise pristine white linen tablecloth.

Two women sat on either side of him, crowding him slightly into the corner of the booth, but he made no motion to move them. On the contrary, after a moment-as Lucian slowly padded across the long room towards a door guarded with a tall vamp and a stocky were, both holding Muggle pulse rifles in their hands with the air of long experience-he slung his arm around the shoulders of the brunette sitting on his right and pulled her even closer, kissing the top of her head, before she let it flop to his shoulder.

Sarah slowly rubbed his thigh under the table, but the act seemed half-hearted, almost despondent. Kendal frowned slightly, looking down at her, and then over at the blonde on his other shoulder, watching as she looked up him, with a vaguely haunted look deep in her eyes. He glanced down at her, and gently buttoned up a pair of buttons on her white blouse, before reaching over and sliding his goblet to her. "Drink, love," he murmured.

Olga shook her head petulantly, and he sighed faintly. "I want Lissa here," she pouted.

Kendal nodded, and looked back at Sarah, to find her nodding silently, silver tears glinting at the corners of her eyes. He turned back to Olga and bent down, kissing her carefully, his fangs retracted, "I do too; love, but she wouldn't want you to waste away." He slowly moved a pair of blonde locks out of her eyes, "Please, Olga, for me."

She smiled tremulously, and took the goblet, letting him hold it for her steadying her shaking hands. He held it to her lips until she had drunk half of it, before he handed it to Sarah, and just looked at her until she drank the rest. He took the goblet from her and sat it down on the table just as Lucian returned, trailed by three figures in dark robes.

Both of the girls looked up at once with sudden, cat-like hisses from their lips as fangs dropped, and eyes changed.

Kendal reached down, stroking their thighs under the table, pushing up the fabric of their identical skirts almost to the hip and back. The pair slowly quieted; though their eyes never left the newcomers, nor did their fangs retreat. They seemed to quiver in place, like a pair of predators about to pounce as he slowly looked back to the wizards that Lucian had escorted in.

He examined the new trio led by a man with an odd resemblance to Harry Potter, the effect only spoiled by the lack of glasses and scar, and light blue eyes. Kendal looked away from Xavier Hamilton, to his left, to find a short, balding wizard named Crandle Jacobson that he knew that Bellatrix used for errands, and then to Xavier's right to find a towering presence, that seemed blot out the light from the overheads.

Johannes Krause was an import from the lands once controlled by cynical old men deep within Russia. He and his followers had flourished under the communist control of East Germany, providing...services, mostly contract murder for Muggles and Wizards, the almightly Galleon overriding his standards of blood purity. After the fall of the wall, he had worked his way westward, to France during the first war, and then to England, just at the end, to see the fall of his new master at the hands of a pair of teenagers.

Kendal looked away from them, and caught the eye of one of his servants, a Muggle Familiar. He had had him for many, many years, even though the man looked only thirty or so due to the Familiar bond, and pointed to his empty goblet with a lazy wave of one finger. The man nodded and vanished behind a curtain to the kitchens.

Crandle fidgeted as Sarah slowly panned her eyes up and down, and licked her lips, letting her tongue dance along her fangs. Red welled on the end and she slowly sucked it in, watching as he shivered. She started to move, but stopped at Kendal's hand on her leg, holding her with the weight of his fingers alone. "Not now, wait, my love," his voice ghosted to her ears alone. Her hand filled his under the table as Kendal focused on Xavier, "Bellatrix could not even come to explain the absolute what is the term, that Lucian taught me," he paused to look at the three, "Yes...an absolute clusterfuck..."

Krause sneered, "It would have been fine if your people," he spat the word as if distasteful, "could have handled..."

Kendal didn't even bother to try to hold back either vampiress, as they seemed to explode from their seat, crashing into the huge, nearly seven-foot man and sending him tumbling to the floor. He outweighed both of them together, by nearly their missing third, and towered over them by a foot and a half, but it did not matter in the slightest.

Johannes managed one punch, which sent Olga flying back at Lucian's feet. He bent and pulled her to her feet with one hand, and received a kiss on the cheek in reward, before she hissed and leapt ten feet in one bound, landing on Johannes' back, just as Sarah twisted her fingers in his hair and forcefully pulled him to his knees, cutting him down to her size.

Fangs flashed, and he screamed once, before he slumped helplessly as both females ripped into his throat. They both sucked for a long moment as Crandle tried to escape only to be cut off by a pair of Lucian's wolves, who tossed him at the floor next to Kendal's table.

Both Sara and Olga stepped away, letting the huge, lifeless corpse fall to the ground with a thump. Sarah licked clean bloody lips, before leaning over and licking Olga's face clean, as if the blood were milk. She kissed her mate gently, before taking the slightly smaller blonde's hand, and stalking over to the bench at Kendal's side.

He smiled down at them fondly as they crawled onto the booth at his side, and curled up together, with their heads on his lap. "Tell me why," Kendal went on softly, petting the pair in his lap, as he watched Xavier standing before him, quivering in repressed rage, and Crandle, just quivering, "why, what I was told, would be a simple operation against a pair of low-level investigators...ended up costing me four of my wolves, getting one of my kindred killed, and my...wife," he hissed, "captured."

Sarah started to rise, only to stop at his gesture, contenting herself to hissing quietly.

"As far as we knew, that was what..."

"Do not lie to me Xavier...I can taste it..." Kendal growled. "It should have been obvious, when only second-rate followers of your master showed, that something was not...kosher, but Clarissa, is somewhat...impetuous. Go back to your masters and tell them, that there will be no further...misunderstandings, or you may just find that our loyalties may shift."

"You would give your loyalties to Potter?" Xavier chortled.

"At least he understands...honor," Kendal snapped, "Now go...and next time, do not expect to leave here with your throats intact." He made a small gesture and two of Lucian's wolves bodily pulled the surviving two Death Eaters from the club. Kendal mouthed, "Thank you," as his Familiar refilled his goblet from a gold pitcher, and walked over to the bar where he popped the top on a beer.

"It would be more effective to send back only their heads," Lucian muttered as he sat down in a chair opposite Kendal and caught a beer tossed from near the bar without looking.

"Probably," Kendal agreed, "but we are walking a fine line, my friend, a fine line indeed." He shrugged, "How is your Lupa?"

"Cursing my name, and swearing that I am never going to go near her again," he replied with a philosophic shrug, and took a deep pull from his beer. "If she hadn't said the same thing during the last trimester for our other three, I would be concerned." He shrugged again, a quick movement of massive shoulders, "I'm just suffering alongside her...which may have been her plan all along."

Kendal laughed deeply, "Ahh, yes, Sarah did the same thing with our last one, a hundred years or so back." He frowned, "I was looking forward to Clarissa doing the same...She is so young, my friend, only fifty-two...a mere childe...but we knew when we found her," he looked down at Sarah and Olga, who were both looking up at him silently, and ran his hand through Olga's hair, "that we had finally found our fourth..."

"We will get her back, Kendal," Lucian said, and Kendal looked up at Lucian's rare, more-or-less public use of his given name.

"Yes, we will...Do what you have to, find her, we will get her back, no matter what it takes."

A/N: There you go, next chapter, Statements of Position, a step back in time, and just maybe a touch of Sirius and Harriet.

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21. Chapter 20: Statements of Position

A/N Once more, we go back to the well. As usual, I own nothing really except for the rather insane number of OCs... Thanks to Lady Starlight for her work on this chapter.
Chapter 20: Statements of Position
***************************Godric's Hollow*******************************

November 7, 2015
2:21 pm

Hermione dropped heavily to the padded floor, and let herself pant quietly for a moment. She reached behind her, drawing her daggers and flipping them to her sides. A heavy breath and she peeled off a sodden t-shirt, and chucked it towards the edge of the mats, leaving her in a white sports bra turned grey with sweat, before falling backwards onto the floor.

She took a deep breath, looking up into the rock ceiling of the cavern beneath her home. The low hum of the ventilation fans competed with the soft huffs of her breath. Slowly she let her head flop to the side, and watched as a pink-haired woman padded down the stairs from above, kicking off her shoes and plopping down in front of Hermione, crossing her legs and leaning forward.

"Wotcher," Tonks greeted, laughing faintly, "should I take off my top too?"

"If you want," Hermione replied without looking up.

Tonks looked as if she were considering it, fingering a rather worn Befuddled Banshees t-shirt and shrugged, "Better not, I'd hate for you to get too excited, since I'm not wearing anything under it."

Hermione laughed, and watched as Tonks looked around the caverns. The simulacrums were gone, vanished as Hermione called an end to the training simulation. She caught a water bottle Tonks flipped her and took a long drink before tossing it to the floor. "What's up, Tonks?"

"Remus had to go to some meeting in Dover, and I was bored..." she replied with a shrug, and flicked her wand at the red mat. A brown butterbeer bottle appeared with a POP and she took a long drink.

Hermione sat up and crooked an eyebrow, "Bullocks."

Tonks sighed and took another drink. She looked to Hermione, "Wotcher...yeah, you're right. I'm full of shyte."

"That's a given," Hermione laughed, and Tonks grinned. Hermione's smile slipped slightly, "You can tell me anything, you know that, big sis."

Tonks nodded, "I know...I was in Diagon Alley yesterday afternoon, meeting with an old informant, you know Smiley Wilkershins?" Hermione nodded. "Evidently, Molly has been talking about her...dissatisfaction with Harriet's guardianship rather openly to some of her friends...she was seen meeting with Rita..."

"Brilliant," Hermione muttered, and closed her eyes with a sigh, "What is it with her, Tonks?" she asked after picking her water bottle back up and taking another long drink. "I don't want to keep Harriet from her, she is her grandmother for Merlin's sake, she has a right to see her, I don't dispute that at all. But, Luna trusted Harriet to me and I will be damned if I don't honor that request. She's happy when she's here."

"I think that Molly thinks that you aren't the...best role model for Harriet," Tonks replied hesitantly. "Something about it..." Hermione took a breath and Tonks shrugged, "You aren't the only one, she berated me the other day because Abby had a stud in her nose when she last saw her...Said I was a bad mother for exposing her to...Muggle ideas..."

"You let her get a nose ring?" Hermione half-laughed, and glanced at the small diamond that Tonks was sporting today on her left nostril.

"No, it was magnetic;" Tonks explained, "but if she asked I might let her...It's her body." She sighed, "But she wouldn't even let Abby explain, before she yelled at her to take it out...which of course just pissed her off, my little girl has too much of me in her, to let that pass." Tonks finished her beer, "Abby, of course, didn't tell me about it, I heard second hand from Angelina."

"I don't know what to do," Hermione admitted, scrubbing at suddenly tired eyes. She felt a flicker of question dance across her mind, and she dropped her head, letting a curtain of hair shield her face and the emotions dancing across her face. "She's Luna's daughter-so she's mine." Hermione let her hands fall and twist in her lap, "We promised each other...back when...that we'd take care of each others'..."

"So the fact that Remus and I named you, Abby and Xan's guardians, too..."

"Means it could get rather crowded around here...so don't let anything happen to you two," Hermione whispered.

"Alright," Tonks promised, and reached over, patting Hermione's shoulder before she stood. "I'm going to head back, but I thought you should know, just in case. I need to do some shopping...are you going to be alright there?" Hermione nodded, and Tonks patted her shoulder again and vanished with a faint POP.

3:05pm

Harry frowned as he walked into the bedroom, following the pointer in his mind, which constantly pointed to Hermione. The sound of running water came from the open door of the bathroom, and he turned to the closet, kicking off his trainers, and dropping a jumper showing rather mysterious smudges of soot on top of the hamper. He had been at the Twins' and their newest joke...was not so funny, when he felt Hermione's distress.

It had taken him several minutes to escape the Twins' questions, and admonitions to stay for only one more demonstration, before he finally just glared at them and Apparated out, collapsing their wards in the process.

He padded into the bathroom on sock-covered feet, stepping through a cloud of steam, and stopped, swallowing heavily at what he found.

Hermione looked up at him slowly from the floor of the shower, she was propped up in the back corner of the black marble stall, with her knees pulled up to her chest to support her chin. Her hair was almost black from water, falling almost straight to the floor of the shower. The eyes that met his were red, and the streams of water falling down her cheeks were not totally from the showerhead.

She did not speak as he quickly shed his clothes and stepped into the shower, sliding down to the floor beside her. Hermione crawled into his lap, and tucked her head under his, not speaking as he let her snuggle.

What? he asked after letting her cling to him for several minutes.

Am I a bad mother? Hermione murmured with a hint of desperation, I tried to be there for Em and Sirius...should I have stayed at home...

Harry sighed helplessly, They are great kids, Mione, you are a great mum, he slowly stroked her hair, and pulled her more securely to him. The water began to cool, and he muttered a spell, refreshing the heating charms. They love you, you know that.

But should I have stayed home all the time, I mean they were with Mum or Dad, or Remus and Tonks, or our other friends half the time...or alone, I...

Harry kissed the top of her head, They are loved, Hermione, they know it, that is what is important. We were there unless it was literally impossible not to be. Em and Sirius know that.

Are we raising them to be too...Muggle?

You are starting to be silly, Harry chided gently, rocking her in his arms. He felt her smile faintly, What started this, Love?

Tonks came by...Molly has been telling everyone that will listen that it's not a 'suitable' environment...she's been talking to Rita...I wonder if that's how Rita found out about Em and Xander?

Who knows? Harry replied, But she is only making her own bed...She'll get to lie in it if she doesn't stop this. I don't care, what she might have done for me when I was younger, she's insulted you enough...she's almost beyond apology. He reached down and pulled her face up with a single finger under her chin, But all of that can wait, for now, you just need to decide if you'd rather forget this in the shower...or perhaps move next door.

Hermione laughed before watching his face for a moment, her lower lip in her teeth as she watched silvery waterfalls sheet off his hair and fall down between them to drop down to her chest and stream down between her breasts. She leaned up and kissed him, Why not both, Harry? her 'voice' becoming husky, as her eyes darkened, before lighting faintly from the outside in.

He smiled and nodded, Such a brilliant girl.

************************Hogwarts, Head's Quarters**************************

April 12, 1998 (Sunday---During Chapter 45: The Light Further Dims, of Circle's End)
7:30 pm

Hermione looked up with still slightly bloodshot eyes from the impromptu party the night before as the door opened to the Heads' Common Room opened and Luna walked in quietly.

She crossed to the couch Hermione was occupying and sat down next to her, moving until she was pressed against Hermione's side. Folding her legs to her other side, her bare feet peeking out from under the hems of loose, ratty jeans, and pulled on the bottom of a red sweatshirt, with "Weasley 11" across the back.

Luna dropped her head to Hermione's shoulder, and Hermione just relaxed back into the couch, marking her place in Confounding Conundrums and Perplexing Paradoxes and setting it aside onto the end table. Hermione looked over carefully, not wanting to move the other girl's head unnecessarily. She waited as Luna looked straight forward into the fire Hermione had lit for atmosphere, and to stave off the chill in the cold castle.

Vividly painted fingernails started to play with an old necklace of butterbeer corks, "It's nice to have a sister," Luna announced suddenly as a log popped in the fire, "I rather always wanted one."

"Me too," Hermione replied as she let her head fall over to rest on Luna's. She glanced over, using just her eyes, "What's wrong, Luna? Where's Ron?"

Luna shrugged, without dislodging Hermione, "Asleep," she replied. She smiled absently, "He keeps passing out after..."

"I don't want to know," Hermione said quickly, cutting her off. "You just want to sit here?" Luna nodded, and Hermione reached over and grabbed her book, pulling it back off the table and resuming reading. Hermione slowly paged through the large book, turning the pages without really reading. "Really, Harry's usually good for..." Her face flushed suddenly and she looked down quickly, letting her hair hide her face as she pretended a resumed interest in her book.

"After the second or third..."

"Anyway," Hermione interrupted, quickly, "are you alright there, Luna?"

"Can I borrow your tartan skirt for next weekend?"

"Um...sure, anything you want, you know that," Hermione replied, "Do you need anything else? I have that new black halter. It looks good on either of us."

Luna looked up and to her left, thinking, "Sure, it will look good on the floor."

Once, that comment would have sent Hermione into a fit of apoplexy. Now she just nodded, and looked over at Luna with a small, smug grin. "It looks very good on the floor," she agreed happily. Both girls giggled quietly, leaning into each other for support.

Luna sighed and quieted, her eyes going more unfocused than normal, "Hermione, have you thought about the future?"

Hermione took a quick breath, stiffening almost imperceptibly, "What have you..."

"Nothing," Luna replied, "not about us, we are too close to the source, I can't see anything about us, really. It's not exactly a focusable talent, Hermione," she added in a tone of gentle reproof.

"Sorry," Hermione muttered and Luna shrugged it off, "Yeah, I have, Luna...I have, Merlin help me, I've tried not to, but I have. Harry's scared to, but he wants it so badly-why?"

"Will you promise me something, Hermione?" Luna asked instead, and Hermione nodded, instantly.

"Anything."

"When Ronald and I have children...if something happens to us, I want you and Harry to take care of them...I don't want what happened to Harry, happen to ours...I don't care if Molly, or Arthur, or anyone wants differently, I trust you and Harry."

Hermione swallowed heavily, and sudden tears bloomed in the corners of her eyes. "You didn't have to ask us that," she whispered and turned on the couch, and hugged Luna as the blonde hugged her back. "You never needed to ask, Luna," Hermione repeated in barely a whisper, "Yours are mine and mine are yours...we'll take of them as if I carried them, I promise."

Luna nodded in agreement, and a flicker of energy swirled around them, dancing between them unnoticed.

Hermione took a breath, "You aren't knocked up are you, sis?"

"No, not until we're married...then we'll see."

Luna and Hermione shared a smile, before Hermione pulled back slightly and waved her hand over the coffee table, "Ice cream?" Hermione asked with a grin, as a carton of chocolate appeared with a pair of spoons. Luna grinned and picked up the carton, scooting back enough on the couch to set it between them.

She took a bite, "I love chocolate...except those eggs Molly makes...something just isn't right about them."

"Yeah," Hermione agreed, "there always was an off taste to them."

****************************Hogwarts************************************

November 9, 2015
12:10pm

Em, Harriet, and Rain slipped down the corridor from the Astronomy and Arithmancy wing together, escaping the boring recitation of NEWT level Arithmancy. Not because any of them disliked the class, but rather that they had already learned the derivation of occluding spellforms, over the summer as part of their pre-year review.

Emilia was more like her mother than she cared to admit.

"So why wasn't Xander in class?" Rain asked as they approached a rather ugly statue of a unicorn. The head of the marble horse turned to follow them, and Rain gave it a little wave, before turning back to Em.

She gave a small shrug, and stepped into a small alcove, bordered by two dented suits of plate armor. One of them seemed to give her a small nod as she stepped straight through the wall, into blackness.

The dark retreated with a loud whoosh as a line of torches lit, leading off to her right. She looked over as Rain and Harriet joined her, stepping through the wall into the hidden corridor. She glanced over at the pair of them, and headed off, following the lit torches as they lit before her and extinguished themselves behind.

"He wasn't feeling well this morning," Emilia replied, "I think he caught the flu from Bob."

"So you are saying that we are going to catch it from you," Rain sighed, "great." She half turned and dug into a side pocket of her battered leather pack, the pocket was decorated with a sewn-on patch, of a silver sword, bisecting crossed wands. "Kincaid Blades" curved across the top in black gothic script, with "For when it's your arse on the line." across the bottom. Rain turned to Em, running a tube of gloss over her lips, before tossing it to Harriet without looking.

Em shrugged again, "Sorry."

Rain made a noncommittal gesture and stepped over a bit of abandoned armor that had fallen in the corridor. "You can make it up to me, if you've figured out how to disable the charms on the stairs."

Harriet blew a bubble of mango-flavored Drooble's Best and popped it loudly, causing Em to jump slightly and glare.

"I can do it now...if you want me to just crush the ward. But that's not quite cricket is it? It would be rather obvious to Uncle Ne...Professor Longbottom if he looked. To temporarily disable it, seems to need an approved wand signature...You could just sneak into Ravenclaw easier, the Map will have the password."

"But my bed is more comfortable for snogging," Rain sighed, "You can't just fake the signature, Em?"

"Dad used to just fly up the stairs," Harriet put in, and both of the others turned to her. She smiled languidly, "Mum said that he was so..."

"Anyway," Rain put in quickly as Harriet got a far-off expression on her face, "I suppose that we could do that...seems almost cheating some how," she smirked, "but if you aren't cheating, you aren't trying, as Dad says."

The trio came to a tapestry of a brown Kneazle in a pointed hat, standing in front of a miniature classroom full of kittens, all of them in tiny cloaks. Emilia brushed it aside and stepped out onto a stair landing with staircases, seemingly waiting for them, leading both up and down. She started down, headed to the Great Hall and lunch, and felt Rain at her side.

She paused and looked back at Harriet as the redhead took a step onto the stairs leading upward. "I need to get my Defense notes, I promised to help Virginia and Kris with that shielding charm," she explained. "I'll just be a moment...make sure that the Inncumons don't start snacking on my roast beef...they really like broiled cow, you know?"

"Sure," Emilia replied without missing a beat, another generation of Potter woman just accepting the eccentricities of a Lovegood in stride...they had learned the hard way that the Lovegoods were sometimes...right. Emilia watched for a moment as Harriet reached the landing above and headed off to her left, the shorter route to Gryffindor tower. She turned away just as a sixth year with blue-trimmed robes stepped out from behind a bit of statuary and followed Harriet.

Emilia froze for a beat, looking back and finding no one, and shrugged, before continuing on to lunch with her other best friend.

Harriet walked along the corridors to Gryffindor Tower quickly, not looking as she pulled her pack around in front of her to look for an Inncumon repelling amulet, Sirius never checks his own food. A kneazle blurred in front of her, chasing a mouse, and she went tumbling with a slight shout.

Harriet fell automatically into a forward roll, tumbling away her momentum, to end up half-propped against the wall, with the contents of her bag scattered about the corridor. A soft curse passed her lips as she pushed herself to her hands and knees, summoning her bag to her hand without a thought. She started to place the detritus of her life back into it, automatically checking a sewn-in pocket that held her collapsed staff, just to make sure it was still there before she placed the rest.

She flicked her wand, watching as her Arithmancy notes fluttered back into the binder they had been in before her tumble and turned to her Potions assignments. Sharp foot steps pulled her head up to find a brown-haired girl in Ravenclaw colors smirking at her, standing between her and the Fat Lady's portrait she could see a dozen meters further down the corridor.

Naomi made no attempt to help Harriet to her feet, just stood and watched with her hands on her hips, pushing back the sides of her robe to show off a skirt at least two inches shorter than Harriet's. She watched as Harriet flicked her wand in a circle, rapidly summoning her supplies back to her without regard to neatness, and started to walk towards the tower only to be cut off.

"Excuse me," Harriet said quietly.

"He deserves better than you, you know," Naomi said conversationally, as she started to walk around Harriet, her eyes panning slowly up and down. "Is that a necklace of...butterbeer corks?" she asked incredulously. A small, half smile decorated her lips, as she reached out, and batted at Harriet's hair, which was pulled back into a simple tail, "So...quaint," she murmured. "Do you really think that he would take up with you, when there are so many more...suitable candidates."

"Please excuse me," Harriet repeated and started to push past again, only to be once again stopped.

"I've seen how you watch him, when he's not looking," Naomi went on, "how you watch him with such a lost little look...Are you hoping that he'll notice and take your hand, drag you off into the sunset with him, foster babies on you?"

Harriet did not reply with other than a slight shrug, "Please, I need to get to the tower."

"You know he's sampled more than a few of the wares around this castle...I suppose that he might deign to grace you with a sympathy shag, after all its..."

"Stop lying, please," Harriet replied, her voice becoming emotionless.

"Of course he won't settle for any of them...of you, I suppose," she continued, "All of you are so...common...A Weasley...I suppose that you think that your Nuevo Riche Uncles make up for it, but you know that it's just a facade. A generation or two, you'll be back in the pig wallow. You family never has been a great house has it? Why do you think that a Potter would give you anything more than a few ounces of replaceable protein?" Naomi laughed as if impressed with her own joke.

A low growl came from behind Naomi and she jumped, her eyes becoming wide as saucers as a pure white wolf, at least half-again as large as a normal member of his breed, stood behind her with teeth bared.

Harriet walked past her and stopped next to the wolf, kneeling next to him, and burying her face in his fur. She planted a kiss between his ears and stood, watching Naomi as the growl slowly faded away. "Gaheris really doesn't like it when you insult his friends..."

"Of course," Naomi said faintly, slowly backing away, "he's your..."

"No, I was talking about Sirius..." Harriet replied, her eyes focusing and becoming hard bits of slate. "Sirius has more-honor, than that. Please, do not insult him again, or you will answer to me." Harriet took a breath, "And for your information-The Weasleys are an old house, our forebears stood with Arthur, when I am sure that yours were servicing the Romans-" Naomi's jaw dropped slightly, "Now please leave, or I shan't be responsible for my actions..."

"Going to sic your familiar on me?" she asked, forcing a bit of bile back down, even as she took another three steps back.

"No, I am thinking that you might meet my wand on the Pitch." Harriet turned and strode towards Gryffindor, walking through the Portrait Hole that opened automatically at her approach, the Fat Lady just nodding in her direction.

In the hall, Naomi let out a loud huff and moved off rapidly, just as the door closed.

Harriet fell back against the corridor, shaking slightly, and slowly petted Gaheris as the wolf rubbed his fur against the six inches of bare skin between her knee-high socks and the hem of her skirt. Normally she would have laughed, being ticklish there, but she remained silent as she concentrated on the gentle reassurance Gaheris was pushing over his link to her.

"Alright there?" a soft baritone asked, unconscious concern filling his voice as he walked towards her with an overstuffed pack slung over one shoulder. Sirius closed the distance quickly at some look in her eyes, before stopping just out of reach. Gaheris looked up at Sirius, and rubbed once more, before leaving, and accepting a petting in passing as he headed towards the girls stairs and Harriet's bed.

Harriet looked up at him, and then down and away slightly, looking just past his shoulder, "Yeah...I'm fine," she lied.

Sirius did not question her, though she still refused to meet his gaze. "What are you doing here?" he asked instead, slipping his hands into his pockets, and hunching his shoulders slightly. A dark lock fell forward, hiding one eye as he leaned against the wall next to her.

"I forgot my notes, to review with 'Gina and Kris," Harriet said, looking up at him slightly, at the two or so inches he had on her already.

"Yeah, I had to get my notes for Harriman's class," Sirius agreed, he looked back and up towards the stairs where Harriet's Familiar had retreated, "Why don't you get yours and I'll walk with you back down to the Great Hall." He shrugged, "You don't know what can happen around here."

"You don't have to do that," Harriet objected, though any objective observer would have noted the weakness of her response.

Sirius gave her a look, and she nodded, and moved at almost a run, as she bounced up the stairs, headed to her room to retrieve her books. And just coincidentally, give her a chance to gather herself, for reasons far deeper than any conversation with a jealous competitor to her heart's desire.

She paused at her armoire, and ran her hand over a rather shorter version of the skirt she was currently wearing, along with a Hogwarts sweater hanging next to it, that Em and Rain had picked out for her the last Hogsmeade trip, and giggling all the while, told her to wear when the light bulb went off.

A lump lodged somewhere in her throat as she suddenly understood what they had meant, and she shook her head, closing the carved oak door and grabbed her pack, dumping out her books from the morning's classes on her bed, and replacing them with a pair of heavily bookmarked books and a binder of notes.

Sirius looked up from where he was still leaning in the same spot she had left him, "Ready for lunch?"

"Yeah, Sirius...I'm ready."

A/N: I hope that you all liked the touch of Sirius and Harriet there. Next chapter we catch up with some more old friends, and there is a rather telling conversation between a couple of the girls.

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22. Chapter 21: A Flicker in Time

A/N: Here we go, catching up with a few old friends, along with a few plot clues...To those in the US, A good Memorial Day, take time to remember those who gave their all for you. Thanks as usual to Lady Starlight for her work on this chapter, and as usual I really own only the plot, OC's random electrons, and possibly in some universe everything else...but probably not this one.

Chapter 21: A Flicker in Time.
***************************London************************************

November 13, 2015 (Friday night)
9:25 pm

Hermione slipped through the thick, milling crowd, ignoring the occasional looks of admiration, hate, or even lust directed towards her, as she sipped from a crystal flute handed to her by a passing white-suited server. Brown eyes slowly scanned through the crowd, watching carefully for any hint of raven hair moving through the clustered throngs of wizards and witches, most of who were here to be seen, rather than for any actual support of the cause celebrated tonight.

She sighed faintly, taking another sip of her beverage, as she stood in the midst of another unwanted Ministry event. Though as this one was ostensibly a charity event for the Foundation of Interspecies Cooperation, one of the Potter charities, she couldn't escape, especially since all the leads of the recent attacks had dried up. Hermione nodded as Gryphold Norton, a member of the Ministry's council on Interspecies Relations waved and turned back to the small blonde, thirty years his junior, who was evidently his date.

A faint snort disturbed the air, and Hermione stepped back, pulling a curtain of air around her and vanishing from plain view. She stood back, out of traffic, and sipped her drink. She smirked and shook her head as she scanned across the room, and found a large knot of young males, along with more than a few young females gathered together.

One of the young men moved, and Hermione found whom she had been expecting, having talked to her just the other day when she got back into London.

A young woman with long, silver-blonde hair stood in the center of the group, laughing at some comment one of the other young women said. The brunette who had made the joke took a step forward, the blonde took her hand for an instant, and the brunette seemed to melt into the floor. A long, floor-length silver dress was painted onto the blonde's curves, baring her shoulders and her entire back, to the very top of her bum, revealing a small tattoo of a phoenix with its wings spread at the small of her back. A long slit slipped up the left side of the dress, exposing just for an instant, a battered leather wand sheath.

She turned and looked around the room, and nodded faintly in Hermione's direction, and Hermione saluted her with her glass. Gabrielle smiled brightly, and took the brunette girl's hand back in her own, and then reached over, grabbing the hand of a tall, dark-haired man in her other.

A visible sigh seemed to manifest itself on the air, and the crowd dispersed around her, leaving Gabby alone with her two suitors. She kissed the girl, and turned, kissing the dark-haired man, pulling him down to her with force of will alone. She stepped back and the other two fell into each others' arms. Gabby squeezed their joined hands and made a vague motion in Hermione's direction and the pair nodded, dancing together as Gabrielle moved off with a small, happy smile.

Hermione relaxed back into the arms that wrapped around her from behind, black sleeves that crossed the fall of emerald silk that was her gown. Alright there, Love? Harry asked as his hands joined on her lower belly, possibly a touch too low for polite society, but neither cared about convention.

She looked up and back with small grin, reached backwards to grab his hair for a moment as she kissed him hello, Just Gabby, Hermione replied. She got back Wednesday from Tibet.

Harry nodded. Gabrielle Delacour had followed in her brother-in-law's footsteps, and had stepped beyond them. The diminutive girl had become Gringotts' premier "recovery expert", specializing in finding lost treasures and occasionally people, regardless of where or how they were lost or hidden. And there wasn't a riot this time?

Hermione reached up and back, and tapped him lightly on the back of the head, just as Gabrielle stepped around a large man deep in conversation with himself, and into view. "Hello, Hermione, Harry," Gabrielle greeted in nearly accentless English, courtesy of a year of intense training.

"Hi, Gabby," Harry replied, stepping away from Hermione long enough to receive the part-veela's hug. Hermione hugged her as well, causing a few annoyed looks to slip their way as the See-Me-Not Glamour had dissipated, and stepped back into Harry's embrace. "I heard that you just got back?"

"Oui," she replied, shrugging, "ever since that solicitor, Armbruster's, ledgers came out after his death, I've been tracking things all over...It's amazing the things that he had hidden, for his...less reputable clients, and you know how the Goblins are about getting back their property?" She smiled helplessly, and took a flute from a passing server, giving him a smile in return. Gabby looked back to the Potters and missed the vague look in the server's eyes as he staggered away with a loopy smile on his face.

"You need to tone it down, Gabby," Hermione said softly.

Gabrielle flushed faintly, "Sorry, I've been in the wilderness so long..." She took a breath and held it, and a beat later a beautiful girl stood where an almost ethereal beauty had shone a moment better. "Better?" she asked. Hermione nodded. Gabby looked around; back towards the pair she had been with, and back to Hermione. "I heard about Molly's little tantrum, from Angelina."

"Yeah," Hermione sighed, "is she still at it? I haven't talked to anyone from the family since this last weekend."

"Hell if I know, Molly has barely said two words to me since Anita and I kissed at the Victory Ball last summer."

Hermione looked back over at the brunette girl that Gabrielle had left across the room, "You don't charm her, Gabby?" Hermione said lowly.

"Oh, Merlin, non, non..." Gabrielle said softly, just a touch of pain in her eyes, "I would never..." She shrugged, "I just hadn't seen either of them until tonight, Anita was out of town trying to negotiate the new supply agreement for Acromantula silk with the twins' suppliers in Brazil, and Micah was up in Edinburgh for some patient of his-It doesn't really affect them anymore...so I didn't notice."

"What'd you mean it doesn't affect them?" Harry smirked, "she sure seemed affected," he added with a raised eyebrow.

Gabrielle sighed and a happy, distant look filled her eyes, as the fingers of her free hand unconsciously pressed against her belly, just below her navel. "I...we were planning, something." A faint blush dusted her cheeks as she looked across the room.

"Then why are you here?"

"Goblins said that their "Tomb Raider" needed to be seen in a public event, after that little incident with the Welsh Green...How was I to know that there was one in stasis under Webley Stadium?"

"Has anyone ever explained to them that name?" Hermione asked after a laugh.

"Non, but Anita bought me the outfit for my birthday," Gabby's eyes twinkled devilishly.

A soft, chirping sound cut her off and she frowned, lifting a finger to hold Harry's comment. She made a small folding mirror appear from somewhere, before flipping it open and stepping back to listen. A hard look filled her eyes, and she sighed, and shot an apologetic look across the room to her roommates as she closed the mirror. Anita sighed and shrugged back, before Gabby quickly grabbed her wand from the garter under her dress, unheedingly giving a nearby elderly wizard a bit of a thrill.

She flicked it, and a shimmering cone dropped from the ceiling, isolating them from the rest of the room. "I might get in trouble...Fuck it," she sighed, "You know that Gringotts had me on retrieval since Bill is out of the field these days?" Hermione nodded. "There were certain ledgers and items that I retrieved from Armbruster's caches, with a whole bunch of Dark Artifacts among them." Harry crooked an eyebrow, "I know that I was supposed to turn them in, but I was told not to...and we all know that there are Merlin knows how many Dark Artifacts hidden away in some of the vaults..."

Her fingers reached up, running though her hair, and disturbing her careful coffiture, "Someone broke in and stole several crates."

"Someone broke into Gringotts?" Hermione growled, and Gabby shook her head, sending her hair flying.

"No, the Goblin in charge of recovered assets wanted the stuff stashed at the East-End sub-office, there is some sort of legal challenge on some it from Armbruster's heirs." Gabby frowned, "I need to go...I'll let you know." Harry nodded, and he and Hermione watched as Gabby walked across the room, slipping through the crowd like a hot knife through butter. Her innate gifts could repel as well as attract, if she really wanted them to. She stopped next to Anita and Micah, and said something with rather large set of annoyed gestures. Micah kissed the top of her head, and she left with an annoyed swing to her stride, moving rather quickly for one wearing three-inch heels.

You want to wait here?

Hermione looked up and back, Of course not, let's go.

**************************Hogwarts*************************************
10:35pm

Emilia glanced up as Justin stood from the table and bent down, kissing the top of Rain's head.

"Later, luv," he murmured and she grinned up at him, watching as he walked backwards to the Portrait hole, and slipped out with a small wave.

Rain sighed helplessly as the door closed quietly behind him; before she crossed her arms before her on the study table her and Em shared and dropped her head to them. Her hair fell forward, hiding her face.

"You alright, Rain?" Emilia whispered, reaching across the table to brush back her hair from her face.

Rain shrugged, "I don't want him to go," she sighed. They both glanced over to the couch, as Harriet stirred, with Gaheris crowding her into the back of the couch. Harriet settled back down, just as Emilia's brother dropped into a chair across the coffee table from the couch, and started to read. Rain snorted and looked back to Em, before dropping her head back to her arms.

"What's wrong?"

Rain lifted her head, and gave Em a half-hearted glare for the span of several long seconds. She shrugged, "Every night...when you slip out to go to Xander...I love you, Em...but I damn near hate you then, too...Stupid fucking hat," she added feelingly.

Emilia smiled for a millisecond, "That's what you get for dating a younger boy..."

Rain smirked slightly, "Oh...he's a man, dear."

"Rain," Em snapped lowly and her hand flashed. A shimmering curtain surrounded them for an instant, before fading from normal sight. The soft murmur of the Common Room vanished and Em took a quick breath, "You haven't...please, Rain, tell me you haven't," she pleaded, reaching across the table and grabbing both of the other girl's hands in hers.

"Of course not, do you think that I want to end up preggers and a squib?" Rain growled...and shrugged, tiredly, "It's possible that he's close enough to his sixteenth for it not to matter, that the charm would still work well enough to keep me from getting knocked up, and I'm old enough to carry it if it didn't-probably-but I don't want to take the chance."

"I'm sorry, Rain, I..."

"I watched you last year...watched you and Xander every day from Christmas to your birthday...It's the same thing, Sis," Rain went on, quietly. "We won't screw up...no matter how much it hurts."

"It's worth waiting for," Emilia smirked.

"It better be," Rain groused, and then giggled. Her face reddened, and she looked down, "We've come close a couple of times...but I won't let you down, Em."

"I know," Em replied and dismissed the charm with a vague gesture. She looked back up and towards the girls' stairs. She stood and leaned close to Rain, "Let's go see if we can do anything about that pesky ward, shall we?"

Rain grinned hugely and stood, following Em as she discreetly flicked her wand about, watching the flickers of color in her expanded vision, and noting the responses to each gentle probe she sent at it.

**********************Ministry of Magic***************************

November 14, 2015
8:20 am

Harry stared in the depths of his coffee as he sat in the rather dim conference room he found himself in this fine Saturday morning. He had originally meant to travel to Hogwarts to catch the Slytherin/Ravenclaw match and take the "kids" to dinner, a vague description that might be as many as eight or ten these days, sometimes more.

Hermione was slumped in the chair next to him, her head pillowed on her crossed arms as she stared at the white ceramic mug in front of her, as if trying to conjure some bit of arcane knowledge from the picture of Crookshanks holding up a sign labeled, "World's Greatest Mum." Em had "purchased" it for her when she was three, for her birthday, and it had been repaired at least three times.

Harry reached over and slowly petted the back of her head, the pair of them having long since given up on any sort of limitations on displays of affection, other than those that might prove...embarrassing. Or at least give Remus and Tonks ammunition in their never-ending war of pranks and jokes that had been going on since the Potters' seventh year.

She turned her head to rest her cheek on her arms and gave him a faint smile, leaning into his hand slightly as he ran his fingers down her cheek. Lunch at Sumalee's? he murmured, stoking the back of her head lightly.

Why, she smiled tiredly, did you do something...I didn't notice the house on fire when we left.

Ha, Ha...

They both looked up as the door to the conference room opened, and Remus stalked in, leading another pair of disparate beings, both of whom looked almost as irritated as Remus. He sat down at the head of the table, and gestured annoyedly at the empty chairs.

A rather tall goblin stomped in, and jumped up to the chair specifically for him, set opposite Remus and discretely lifted so as to give him equal height to the humans-or Homo Magicus, as the most recent papers out of Stonehenge proclaimed. He pulled a crystal from a pouch at his side and slid it down the table, towards Remus, "There," he growled.

Remus said nothing as he reached forward and took the crystal from the table, setting it in a silver, three-pronged holder on the table. He started to touch it and looked over at the other newcomer, "Sit, Gabrielle."

Gabby sighed and crossed her arms, tapping her foot idly. As opposed to last night, she was dressed for work: battered jeans worn low on her hips under a tight black t-shirt that almost reached her waistband and a black dragonhide jacket. A pair of dark, Muggle sunglasses were set on her forehead, over her hair, which was pulled back into a tight braid. Remus gave her a look, and she sighed, dropping into an empty seat, and tossing her combat-booted feet up on the table. She played with the wand strapped to her left thigh, before looking back at Remus.

"Comfortable?" he asked wryly.

Gabrielle's eyes flared, before she took a breath, "Non...What do you think, Remus...I am quarter-veela...and I have not seen my...mates in a month, and that was just for a night...You are, lucky...that I do not do the crone thing." She dropped her boots from the table anyway and leaned forward with her elbows on the table.

Remus nodded, and touched the crystal with his wand. Instantly, flaming letters appeared in the air, spelling out a listing of items. He looked over to Gabrielle, "Some of that is what I brought in...the part of the stolen list anyway," she shrugged.

Remus slowly drummed his fingers on the tabletop, "You brought in, a Chair of DeSaud, and a bloody Soul Scepter, Agent Delacour, and you didn't feel it necessary to tell the Ministry."

"Gringotts is not accountable to the Ministry," the Goblin shouted suddenly, cutting off any objection that Gabrielle might have voiced. "It is enough that we are telling you now..."

"Mister Longclaw," Hermione replied firmly, "we are not trying to pry into Gringotts' business, however both of those items should have been secured in the Department of Mysteries, or destroyed."

Longclaw growled, and Gabby shot him a look, and amazingly the Goblin silenced, "I am sorry, Hermione, it was my fault, I should have destroyed them on site. Despite," she glared at Longclaw, "what the wishes of certain families may have been. I got sloppy."

Remus accepted her apology not in so many words with a nod; he looked at her nominal superior, "In the future, Mr. Longclaw, any such artifacts will be reported to the Ministry...there are several dark wizards that would...and very possibly have, give their left stone for some of these items." He took a breath and grabbed the crystal from the stand cutting off the projection, "We will inform you if we recover any of the other items, good day." Remus' tone was more than sufficient to communicate that this interview was over.

Gabrielle and the goblin stood from the table, he stepped out the door, grumbling all the while, and she had just reached it when Remus' voice stopped her.

"Agent Delacour, a moment."

She turned back and gestured to the Goblin, he looked annoyed but nodded and continued on, towards a floo to Gringotts. Gabby shut the door and looked back at Remus.

His face softened, "I'm sorry, Gabby," he shrugged, "If they sack you, I will make it up to you."

"It's alright, Uncle Remus," she smirked, despite what Molly might think these days, he was as much a part of the family as any of them, "Longclaw is not my greatest fan, but I doubt his boss will let them sack me, I've been too profitable over the years." She frowned, "I am sorry, I was honestzy going to destroy them and a few others...but I had oversight with me..."

"I understand...the offer is open, any time you want to get away from them...even though they pay you more than I could budget." Gabby laughed softly, a silvery sound, and Remus snorted. "Would you like to grab lunch with Tonks and I, she is going to meet me at the Lucky Cauldron," he jabbed his thumb towards Harry and Hermione, "I can tell from the looks on their faces that those two are going to go somewhere...else."

Gabrielle sighed, and her face became serious, "Any other time, Remus, I would...but I, really," her voice softened, "need to get home." She nibbled the side of her lip, watching the, these days, mostly grey-haired Chief Auror. He nodded and she bounced across the room, kissed his cheek and vanished from the room in one almost-blurred movement, waving to Harry and Hermione on the way out.

"I remember when she was eight..." Harry said wistfully, watching the door as it swung closed behind Gabby. "What do you want to do about this, Remus?" he waved towards the now absent projection.

Remus shrugged, "We'll look into it, but from the list of things stolen, I doubt that there is much, true danger...Unless," he fell silent, and looked beseechingly at the Potters as if begging him to tell him what he wanted to hear.

"We've thought of it, Remus," Hermione said quietly, glancing over to Harry as he took her hand openly on the top of the table. "Neither of us, nor Albus could conceive how he could have split his soul further than he did."

Remus did not quite sigh in relief, the secret terror that Voldemort might still be revivable, while seemingly impossible, still held sway in many hearts including his own. He nodded and gave Hermione a patently fake smile, "Get out of her, you two, you still might have time to make the game."

Harry gave him a quick grin; grabbed Hermione and they vanished without a sound, leaving Remus alone with his thoughts, and a now cold cup of coffee.

******************************Hogwarts**********************************
November 20, 2015
5:30 pm

Harriet sat alone on her bed, in the room she shared with Emilia, Rain and their mostly absent roommate, whom they had only seen for showers once in the last two days. She propped her chin on her lifted knees and wrapped her arms around her shins, as she looked across the room to watch as Emilia and Rain modeled their new gowns for the Yule Ball.

A fall of red silk decorated the foot of her bed, and Emilia looked over from the mirror, her hands still holding her mass of hair free of her neck, "Aren't you going to try it on?"

Harriet shrugged as she looked over at her roommates. She gnawed on her lower lip absently and shrugged again, before looking down at the bed. Emilia glanced at Rain, and gestured to her back. Rain unfastened Em's dress, and she let it slide off her to the floor. She gestured towards her armoire, and it rose from the floor, floated across the room and hung itself up, even as Em quickly redressed in jeans and a jumper.

She dropped onto Harriet's bed, and sat cross-legged, watching her for a beat, "You should try it on, Harriet," she urged softly, "just in case we need to alter something."

"I doubt I'm going," Harriet replied tiredly, and flopped back onto her bed, rolling to her side as she curled up into a small ball. She closed her eyes and snuggled into her pillow.

"He's an idiot, Harriet," Emilia muttered exasperatedly. She reached forward, to slowly stoke Harriet's loose hair from her face, and sighed faintly as Harriet refused to look at her. "There are other boys who would love to take you, maybe if he saw you with them, he'd get a effing clue."

"Don't want to go with them," Harriet mumbled, and Emilia looked helplessly towards Rain, who shrugged.

"You still have a month, to go, hun," Rain said, sitting carefully on the other side of the bed. "He'll come to his senses." She looked up at Emilia who was twisting a small braid around her finger, watching the colors shift in the beads on the end. Em looked back at her, and reached down to stoke Harriet's arm, not knowing what to say.

"What if he doesn't?" Harriet whispered painfully, opening her eyes to look up at Em.

Emilia smiled softly and reached forward, brushing off a tear from the corner of Harriet's eyes. "If he doesn't...then he's an idiot, and you can beat the Merlin-living shit out of him on the mats over the entire Christmas hols." Em brushed her hair back out of her eyes again, noting absently that it was wet with tears or sweat, "Why don't you go get cleaned up for dinner, sis?"

Harriet did not look totally convinced, but rolled back off her bed, and after grabbing a towel and a change of clothes, to replace the uniform she was still wearing, she vanished into the hall, closing the door behind her.

Rain paced over to her bed, and stripped out of her own dress, "What are you going to do, Em?" she asked, her voice muffled as she pulled a Ravenclaw team sweatshirt on over her, and shook out her hair.

"I don't know if I can do anything," Emilia said helplessly, flopping back onto Harriet's bed and bouncing a couple of times, after at least five minutes of silence, and Rain's exasperated hunt for her favorite jeans, the ones with holes worn through on both knees and a new one threatening to bloom just below her bum. She looked at Rain without moving, "What do you want me to do, use Imperio on his dumb arse? Putting aside the whole point of it being illegal as all hell, and probably wouldn't work anyway as he's as powerful as me..."

"We could just lock them in a room together until they admit it."

Em snorted, and then frowned. "I honestly don't think that is the problem, not really." She flopped her head to the side, and looked at Rain through an obscuring sheet of hair, her left eye only visible as green shards, "She's already given her soul to him, Rain," Emilia announced quietly, Rain's jaw dropped slightly, "They're not bonded, not yet, but when they do admit it...they'll go in a heartbeat, there won't be that pesky three, or sixteen year, wait like there was for Xander and I." Em licked her lips, "They might not even have to shag to do it."

"Your Mum and Dad didn't."

Emilia watched her best friend for a moment, "Occasionally, it's scary how much you know about my family, luv...No, they didn't, but they were different...and I don't particularly want my other sister's bond to be established by her or Sirius getting damn near killed."

"As I was saying," Emilia went on, petting Hipper as her Familiar leapt from the floor and laid down conveniently next to her hand, "She's already there and-I think-so is Sirius."

"Then why?"

"Because he's terrified of what might happen, even more now than he was. He's so afraid, possibly not even consciously, that if she's with him, she'll get hurt, and what happened to Xander on the train sure as fuck didn't help his mindset."

"You and Xander are ok."

Emilia snorted, "I'm bloody terrified every morning, that somehow something has got past me in the night and taken him...Even though I know better, even though I know that I'd know if something happened to him, it's still there...I've laid there before for minutes before I could make myself open my eyes."

The door opening back up cut her off, as Harriet slipped in, her hair still wet, and falling over the back of the green jumper she had grabbed from the communal pile. Harriet tossed her damp towel at the hamper, which hopped and snapped it out of the air before it could fall to the floor. "I'm hungry," she announced, with no outward trace of her prior distress, "let's see if we can get something."

"Alright," Emilia replied, rolling from Harriet's bed and summoning her trainers to her with a gesture. She stepped into them and started towards the door even as they finished lacing themselves, "Let's eat."

*************************Ministry of Magic*******************************

November 21, 2015
10:15 am

"You do realize that this is a serious step, Mrs. Weasley?" Pleasurance Blake, asked with the faintest hint of a smile on her face. The thin blonde woman walked around her desk and perched on the corner of it, looking down at Molly in the plush leather guest chair before her seat. "You realize that you are, in effect, questioning the actions of the 'Chosen One'?"

"Harry is a dear boy," Molly replied, setting down her tea on a table next to the chair, "but I am only thinking of Harriet's best interests, and that she would be best served in the proper environment."

"As you say," Pleasurance smiled and stood. She watched as Molly stood from her seat and shook her extended hand briefly, "I will file the papers with the Committee on Underage Welfare, but I would expect that it will be some time to process. It will also be very difficult to keep this from your husband, he is a very active Minister."

"Yes, well...Arthur is very busy, and I would hate to bother him with this...Please let me know when we can retrieve my granddaughter, I am sure that she is safe at Hogwarts, but when she returns to the Potters for Christmas...I just worry so with her in such an unsuitable and dangerous environment, she has almost been killed twice, through no fault of their own of course, they are just children, by associating with Emilia and Sirius. It's not their fault that they were raised with such a loose attitude towards certain realities..." Molly trailed off as the solicitor nodded.

"I will let you know by secure owl as soon as I can," Pleasurance smiled, a solicitors' smile as she led Molly to the door.

Molly left and a side door opened, letting in a small, brown-haired man. Pleasurance turned to him as he cleared his throat. "Are you sure this is wise, Pleasurance, this is the Potters...even if you manage to get the court to rule in Mrs. Weasley's favor, too many owe them favors...And beyond that, do you think that they will give her up?"

She smiled and walked around her desk, dropping in it and crossing her legs, "It doesn't matter, either way this can be a career making case for me, and besides, the Potters need taken down a peg or two, don't they?"

A/N: There we go. Next time on this Owl channel, a disastrous duel, illicit affairs, bureaucratic power building, and a walk...hold the toast.

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23. Chapter 22: A Flicker of Doubt

A/N: A step forward and two steps back. As usual I own nothing really except everything I've created. Thanks once again to Lady Starlight for her work on this chapter.

Chapter 22: A Flicker of Doubt
****************************Hogwarts************************************
November 25, 2015 (Wednesday)
1:25pm

Xander hid a quiet yawn behind his hand as Harriman paced from side to side, his hands waving wildly, as he described the theory behind Patroni, and their effects on Dementors, Lethifolds, and their rumored effectiveness against some vampires. Of course the inability of the current Defense Professor to actually produce a corporal Patronus had already caused the majority of the class to tune him out and attend to other, vital, things.

Xander glanced over to his left as Emilia made a faint, sighing sound and scooted closer, close enough for her to surreptitiously grab his free hand from the table and pull it down to rest in her lap. Her quill was transcribing the talk on its own, much like half of the others in the class, as Xander let two fingers stoke the inside of her thigh. A very quiet purr reached his ears alone as Em let her eyes fall closed.

You know that I could do a touch more if you weren't so bloody loud...Xander whispered and she opened one eye to him, then the other, quickly blinking away half cat-slitted pupils.

I could cast a Silencing Charm, she retorted, I'm game if you are.

Tempting, he replied, as she interlaced her fingers with his in her lap, and pulled their joined hands between her thighs, holding them there with a bare hint of pressure. But the floating objects and random explosions might give it away.

Yeah...honestly, it's damn inconvenient some times. She squeezed his hand and glanced up and right at him, After class, Love...we have hours until dinner, I...need you, she murmured, very softly, and he squeezed her hand in acknowledgement. Their sleeping arrangements might be keeping them sane, but only just.

Emilia glanced over at Rain on her other side, to find her idly drawing Justin's portrait from memory. Em did not remember Justin's eyes being quite as large as Rain had them illustrated, but she only smirked faintly and gave a tiny shake of her head.

"I'm not the one getting diddled in the middle of class," Rain wrote on her parchment, before scratching it out.

"Ha, Ha," appeared on Rain's parchment, "I'm not either, dear. He's a touch better than that, you'd know it." Em looked past Rain and across a small aisle where Elliot sat with Harriet next to him on the next table over, both of them looking rather bored. Harriet was talking to...something or someone under her breath, and Elliot was staring fixedly at a stained bit of stone just above the blackboard. "I think I can get him up to your room, Sis."

"YOU CAN?" she questioned, the words almost illegible in her haste. Rain looked over quickly, her eyes wide, to catch Em's faint smile.

Emilia smirked, pausing as Harriman looked in their direction and opened his mouth, probably to ask her a question and closed it just as quickly, knowing from experience that she most likely already knew whatever he could legitimately ask her. He moved on, and Em glanced back over to Rain, "A touch of the pot calling the kettle black?" Rain stuck her tongue out at her quickly, and Emilia buried a laugh inside a cough. "Yeah, I think I can, though he will have to use a cloak."

"I love you," Rain wrote back before vanishing the words. She tapped her quill against the parchment twice, "Can we do it after class?"

"Xander and I have a date," Emilia wrote back, and Rain sighed, closing her eyes for a beat. "How about tonight?" Emilia offered.

"Rub it in," Rain wrote quickly. She looked over her shoulder towards Harriet, "Do you think that Harriet will mind? I don't give a shit about Cassie, but?"

"No, I doubt she will mind." Emilia crooked an eyebrow, "As long as you shut the curtains."

"You are evil."

"Yes, I am."

An hour later, after an interminable lecture, in which Emilia contented herself with playing with Xander's hair and Harriet started in on a totally different conversation with herself, and Rain daydreamed, a distant bell tolled and the classroom emptied before Harriman could turn from the board to dismiss them. He rolled his eyes after taking in the empty room and started to pack up his materials into an old, battered briefcase.

Xander grinned as he pulled Emilia down the hall, and into a small alcove. He turned them, pressing her back into the wall. She sighed, grinding back against him, feeling the rough stone at her back, and his chest pressing into hers from the front. She glanced down as his hand slipped up the side of her leg, bunching her skirt up as eager fingers started exploring.

Emilia reached up, tangling her fingers in his hair, and pulling his head down to hers, when a faint cough came from near her ear.

"As much as I would love to see Xander naked," Rain murmured, leaning back into the alcove at Em's shoulder, "You are a touch loud, luv...you might attract attention..."

Emilia flushed, and looked down, though she made no attempt to disengage from Xander, "H...how, would you know," Emilia said, trying to keep an even tone.

Rain looked over at Harriet. "Silencing Charm," they said as one. "You forgot, a couple of times last summer," Harriet explained distractedly as she watched something shimmer up near the rafters.

"So...my p...parents heard?" Emilia sputtered.

Rain looked from Harriet, rolling her eyes, "Sis...Xander's parents probably heard in Canton." Harriet nodded in agreement as she skipped across the hall to bend down from the waist to pick up a quill someone had dropped. At least she remembered panties today, Rain muttered to herself.

"Oh...God," Emilia moaned, burying her head in Xander's chest. She looked up as faint chuckles vibrated Xander's chest to give him a glare.

"It's not like they didn't know, Love," he whispered consolingly, holding her to him as he stroked her back through the thin fabric of her uniform blouse.

"But..."

"What's up?" Sirius' voice called from down the hall as he stepped into view along with Lawrence and Justin, the three of them having just escaped Transfiguration.

Emilia looked from around Xander, stepping to one side, to watch as Justin kissed Rain in passing, and leaned on the wall next to her, pulling her back against him comfortably. Harriet watched Sirius as he stopped in the hall, and suddenly focused, stepping over to him, and stopping just inside his personal space. Emilia hid a sudden smile as Sirius only glanced over at her, and then back at his sister and Rain, without moving away from the redhead at all.

Rain opened her mouth and froze as Minerva McGonagall walked past, her eyes examining each of them briefly as she passed. Em moved very slightly away from Xander, and Rain nonchalantly leaned against the wall next to her boyfriend. "Hello, Professor," Em said brightly, cringing internally as she heard herself.

"I am expecting that you are not doing anything, untoward, are you, Miss Potter?" McGonagall asked, looking at each of them again.

"No, Ma'am," Emilia replied, and McGonagall nodded.

"Very well then, I will see all of you tomorrow," she glanced over at Justin, "Mr. Black, I would suggest for your sake that you spend the evening reviewing." She walked off as Rain turned and smacked him on the back of the head.

He looked sheepish as she grabbed his hand in hers, squeezing lightly, "You are soo, studying all night," she murmured. He nodded, still looking down, and she kissed his cheek, "You get an O...I'll make it worth your while." She smiled, leaning into him, and with a brief flicker of her eyes to each side, pressed against him, to elicit a faint groan. She looked down between them, "Maybe later, Hun." She kissed his nose, "If you are a good boy, that is."

"Anyway," Sirius interrupted, with an odd timbre to his voice as he glanced over to Em to find her once more leaning on Xander. He looked back to Rain, as she turned, seemingly having forgiven Justin's apparent academic transgressions as she leaned back against him, "I was actually wondering if I could find someone to duel with," he looked at Lawrence, "Lawrence didn't want to."

"Um, Sirius," Em said, looking back at Xander, "Xan and I..."

"Would love to duel Sirius and I," Harriet put in, interrupting her, and causing a quick flicker of amusement to cross Rain's eyes.

"Great," Sirius replied, smiling, he looked at each of them, "Thirty minutes in the Room of Requirement?"

Emilia just nodded, and Sirius waved, moving off, "Wait, Sirius," Harriet called after him, he stopped and looked back at her as she left the rest of them and caught up to him. "We should...maybe plan?" she asked softly, holding her hands in front of her as she rocked back and forth on her heels.

"Yeah...we probably should," he agreed and led her off, listening tolerantly as she started to stream ideas at him, some of which actually involved actual, possible situations and circumstances.

Rain watched them leave, stepping out of sight and up a set of stairs that she knew led, eventually, to the Room of Requirement. Lawrence left after telling Justin he would see him later, and Rain laughed.

"It's not funny," Em griped half-heartedly.

"It's kinda funny," Rain demurred and Emilia sighed.

"Come on Xander, let's go get changed," Emilia muttered grabbing his hand and pulling him along, headed towards the stairs upward, "You too, Rain, if I'm not, you sure as hell aren't."

*************************Room of Requirement*****************************
3:15 pm

Rain leaned back against the wall of the Room, and looked to each side. She reached under her skirt, not bothering with the pocket pass through, and pulled her wand, to hold it in her hands, low in front of her.

"Sure that you don't want to play?" Em called from one end of the room, she stood loosely with Xander twirling her wand between he fingers like a drummer. She looked down toward her brother and Harriet standing at the other end of the perhaps, hundred yard long space, and then back at the dark-haired girl.

Emilia dug in a cargo pocket of the black pants she had replaced her skirt with, and found a rubber band to tie her hair back. She pulled down on the hem of her matching shirt to pull it to her waistband, smiled across at Sirius, "Ready, Little Brother?" The wrapped hilt of her sword stuck up behind her right shoulder, out of the way of the wand strapped to her thigh.

Sirius glanced over to Harriet, she gave him a faint smile, which he returned, and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Any rules, Big Sister?"

She licked her lips and shrugged, rolling her head on her neck. "I'd really appreciate it, if you didn't maim my fiancé...Mum probably would too in a few years when she wants grandkids..."

"Alright," Sirius smirked, his hand slowly dropping to the wand on his thigh. One finger tapped the rosewood shaft strapped to his leg.

"Are you two done?" Rain said exasperatedly, looking between the siblings. They nodded, going suddenly quiet, as a faint breeze seemed to whisper in the room deep within the castle. Rain flicked her wand-and the room changed.

Instantly the room darkened, becoming dusk, as broken bits of stone cropped up, and a thin fog settled on the air. The temperature dropped and Rain shivered, wrapping her arms around herself and stepping back in a suddenly supplied alcove.

Emilia dove behind a large, broken wall of stone just as a blue Reductor shattered a outcropping to her left, showering her and Xander with gravel. He's already at it, Xander growled.

She nodded, and with a breath, her eyes lit, sending emerald glows sparkling into the dimness. She watched as he fought his own transformation, Let it go, Xan.

But, Harriet...

Trust me...I don't think it will matter.

Xander frowned and let his baser nature slip, eyes vanishing into black voids and his fangs dropping. He nodded to her and vanished in a bound, leaving the cover they were sheltering behind in one bound.

Emilia vanished in a blur to the other side, dodging to a chunk of debris a bit further towards the other end.

Can you feel them? Xander called and she shook her head, knowing he could feel it as if he were standing next to her.

No, Em gritted, disillusioning herself and fading into the dim room. I can't even feel Harriet... A disbelieving flicker shot back to her and she shrugged. Another Reductor shattered the chunk of stone she was behind and she flipped to the side, and far down range a flicker of red hair dove down behind a bookshelf.

Emilia growled, and fired a shimmering black beam back in return, the bookshelf vanished into dust and she growled annoyedly as the dust cleared and nothing and no one was behind it. "Shit," she growled and flipped over the next set of rubble, moving closer to the location of their hidden sniper.

A quick slash of her wand, and a shimmering silver bolt was snapped up into the ceiling and she vanished, reappearing behind Harriet. Harriet rose, leading with her wand to fire off another barrage of spells. Emilia grinned faintly as lifted her wand to line up on the back of her friend and temporary foe.

Only the briefest flicker of movement gained her enough time to tuck into a ball as a wave of force picked her up and slammed her against the wall, ten meters away. She bounded off, and flipped backwards over a slash that would be lethal anywhere else. Her sword filled her hand as she landed and instantly flipped backwards again, desperately looking for space to move.

She barely took a quick breath before she slashed a dozen glowing cables into shards as they flew at her from nowhere.

A pair of glowing emerald orbs shone from the darkness behind a faintly glowing blade. "Nice trick, bro...exactly how did you hide both of you from me?" Emilia asked, flicking her eyes to the side as a flutter of spellfire lit the room. Xander and Harriet had started in on a running battle between the scattered bits of cover.

Sirius looked genuinely puzzled, "I didn't, just me..." He glanced over at Harriet as an explosion showered them both in small bits of gravel that vanished before they hit the floor, and leapt backwards as Emilia took his distraction as an opportunity. He resheathed his sword on the fly and ripped back a pair of Reductors, his wand filling his hand magically.

Emilia dodged one, and batted the second aside with a wand flick, having gone back to her wand as well. Sirius dove under a white-blue beam, not looking back as the wall beyond froze solid and adsorbed a red Stunner bolt into his wand.

He took a breath, and vanished, reappeared and ripped a Stunner at Em's back, vanishing again before she could recover from the block to retaliate. A soft, muttered curse passed her lips, and she vanished, reappearing behind Harriet, and fired at her.

She ducked the Stunner and rolled to the side, flicking her wand at a pair of stone chucks to either side. A pair of grayish stone lions bounded at Emilia, the lead one swiping at her head with glowing obsidian claws. She dropped away, flopping to her back and firing a Reductor straight up, to shatter the lead lion into gravel.

Emilia scissor-kicked back to her feet and dove over the charge of the second, flicking her wand back. A flaming tendril wrapped around its midsection, and she pulled hard. The feline golem fell into two pieces before shattering into a million.

XANDER, she snapped as a chartreuse beam tore into his side, and just for a millisecond, the room changed, into a dark night lit with flames and the random light of spell fire. She gathered herself and charged, SHIFTING, as she moved, her body lengthening, changing, and between one step and another, a black lion leapt at Harriet.

Harriet spun, catching the flicker of darkness in the dim room out of the corner of her eye, as Em's paws touched the stone just behind Xander, and leapt over him, directly at her.

HARRIET, Sirius screamed, and reached for her. A visible tendril of power shot from him, filling her bones, and she flung out a desperate hand unthinkingly. The charging cat slammed into an invisible wall, sending vague ripples through the air.

Sirius gave his wand a complicated flick and a half-dozen silvery cables appeared, wrapping around Xander and tying him down to the floor. Harriet had the presence of mind to fire an Expelliarmus at Xander, disarming him, before she slid to the floor, a slightly shocked expression filling normally vague eyes that were glowing from within with a greenish-silvery glow.

Sirius' eyes narrowed, as he took a breath and SHIFTED, his bones changing, lengthening, as a long, black tail slipped out, and glittering white fangs slipped free. A black male lion, a third again bigger than Emilia flicked his tail, emerald eyes glowing brightly against his fur.

He roared, and charged, meeting Emilia ten feet in the air, and the pair of them crashed to the floor, both already transforming back to human form even as they fell. Emilia batted away a kick that should have broken her neck if it were not for the room's safeties, and snapped a punch in response, sending Sirius spinning to the side.

Harriet cried out, holding her side, and Emilia looked at her and then back at Sirius, lowering her guard just as Sirius' foot spun around to clip her behind the ear. She tumbled away, using the momentum to move even as she drew her wand, "END!" she roared and the room flashed once through a pure white room, before settling on a replica of the Gryffindor Common Room.

She dropped to her knees, panting, and looked over at Xander to find him sitting on the floor looking back at her, his eyes wide.

Harriet was looking between Sirius and her, her lower lip quivering slightly.

Harriet flinched, just slightly, as Sirius walked over to her, the glow fading from his eyes as he moved. He swallowed, stopping two or three steps from her, and he suddenly could not breathe at the look he found in her eyes; the flicker of fear that she directed at him.

"You...alright?" he asked quietly, and she nodded, not looking away from him.

Rain walked in, her wand in her hand, though she really had no idea what she would do if she had to do anything. "I think that, that's enough for today," she announced quietly.

"Yeah," Emilia agreed, pulling Xander to his feet, even as she looked between Sirius and Harriet again. Her heart broke slightly as Harriet nodded mutely. "Harriet...do you want to go grab something to eat?" she asked, knowing that Uncle Ron's legendary appetite had a way of transferring to his sprog at times like this.

Harriet just shook her head, her eyes flickering to Sirius and then back to Emilia. "I...I need to do some work for McGonagall...I'll probably be in the library." She turned and left the Room quickly, not looking back.

Sirius took a single step and froze at Emilia's hand on his arm. "No, Sirius...don't."

Oh...Goddamit...this isn't good, Emilia muttered to herself, as she watched the closed door without really seeing it, reaching out to follow the flicker of multicolored fire that at this moment was sprinting away.

**************************Gryffindor Tower******************************

November 26, 2015
12:30 am

Rain looked over at Harriet, Em having already left to sleep with Xander, and Cassie, gone somewhere as usual. "Are you sure that you are ok with this?" Rain asked, reaching up and pulling at the tail she had put her hair into for sleeping. She looked around the dimly-lit, circular room, "If it makes you uncomfortable..."

Harriet shrugged and sat back against the headboard of her bed, reaching down and petting the large, furry white head resting there. Gaheris looked up at her with just his eyes, before settling back down with a soft huff. Harriet looked up from him, "No, why would I be?" Harriet asked with a genuinely puzzled tone.

Rain took a breath, and plucked at the pajamas she had chosen, I wonder if I should have chosen something...sexier? She questioned herself, worriedly, taking in again, the red flannel pants with Gryffindor down one leg, and an over-sized sweatshirt she had selected to sleep in, her normal sleepwear in the winter in Hogwarts, but not the most alluring outfit she owned. "Because I'm having Justin up...and Em's with-"

"I will be fine," Harriet reassured her again, "I have my puppy with me...and Sirius is safe," she admitted to the other girl, "As long as he is...I can..."

"Har..."

The door opening without any visible cause silenced them both. It closed, and a white flash lit the walls as Privacy Charms established themselves. A ragged mop of blonde hair appeared, followed by the rest of Justin's rather lanky body, already clothed very much like his girlfriend, matching her almost exactly in fact, except his pants were blue.

"Hi, Harriet," Justin said nervously, "Are you..."

She smiled and flicked her wand at the glowing illumination orbs floating about the room, casting the room into shadow broken by the silvery light from the moon, "I'm tired," Harriet announced, climbing under the covers. Gaheris snuggled up to her on the opposite side, as she lay on her side facing Rain's bed.

Rain gave her a brilliant smile, her teeth gleaming in the moonlight before she crawled under the covers, and looked up as Justin looked once more at Harriet, and then crawled under the covers with Rain. He stretched out, lying on his back, smiled as Rain slowly crawled over until she could lie mostly on top of him, resting her head on his shoulder.

Harriet watched, silently, as they cuddled closer together, and after a moment longer, rolled over, cuddling her wolf to her like a huge, sentient stuffed toy.

******************************Ministry of Magic***************************

November 26, 2015
10:20 am

Hermione leaned back in a battered leather chair, tossing aside a black folder of pictures of various suspected Death Eaters and sympathizers, people that had never quite crossed the line to allow them to be pulled in. She sighed and closed her eyes for a moment; taking a breath and opened them again as she let her head fall to her crossed arms on her desk.

She blew a recalcitrant curl from her eyes and looked across the expanse of her desk at several pictures taking up a place of honor in the right-hand corner, standing like obelisks amongst the parchments, folders and other random clutter littering her desk. She smiled at the one of her and Harry, to anyone except them it showed the pair of them dancing at some random event, her in a green dress and him in a tux.

The true picture was more interesting.

She was draped against him, her back to the camera and looking back over her shoulder, her hair falling drenched down her spine, covering the fact that the emerald green bikini bottoms she was wearing were the only thing on her. Harry had his head tucked on her other shoulder, looking over it towards the camera, squinting slightly as his glasses were elsewhere when that picture had been taken of them at the beach house. Her smile turned to a brief grin as she remembered what had happened just after that flash had gone off from the charmed camera...but that picture would have been a bit much, even hidden under a charm, to put on her desk.

The one next to it was an old one, seventeen years old in fact, and her smile slipped slightly as she watched her, Harry, Ron and Luna mugging for the camera. Luna was sitting in Ron's lap, occasionally squirming as he tickled her side, reaching up under the back of her sweatshirt to run cold fingers along her back. Harry and Hermione sat tucked together next to them on the couch, an old tattered one in the Gryffindor common room, with her straddling Harry's lap, and looking back towards the camera again, periodically turning back to snog him, and reaching down with a laugh every time his hand wandered to the hem of her skirt.

Three weeks after that picture, Ron and Luna were believed dead and Harry and Hermione were holding on by a thread in the Hogwarts Hospital Wing.

She sighed and glanced over at the last, a fresh one she had snapped this summer. In it, Emilia was lying under a tree on the grounds of the Hollow, with Xander lying with his head on her stomach. Sirius was sitting to one side, talking to them, and periodically glancing over at Harriet, his eyes cutting back every time she looked back towards him. Rain was sleeping next to them in cat form, soaking up the summer sun on her black fur. None of them had known they were having their picture taken, and were utterly relaxed before returning to school and their nine-month slog.

A soft knock sounded at her door and she looked up away from her children and those that might as well be such, to motion in a tall, thin man with silver hair. She waved at the guest chairs in front of her desk and sat back in her chair to the accompaniment of a quiet squeak from the leather. "Yeah, Gerrik?" Hermione inquired, looking across at Gerrik Blackwand, the current Head of Admissions to the combined Auror and Special Operations Academy hidden away on the Channel.

He looked at her, and tossed a stack of folders on her desk. A sheathe of glossy photos slipped out and Hermione closed her eyes for a beat as the emerald gaze of her daughter blinked back up at her. She leaned forward slowly, opening the rest, finding, as she knew she would, Sirius, Harriet, Xander, Rain...even Abigail.

Hermione took a long breath. "I want to recruit them," he said brusquely. He took her silence as permission to continue. "Your daughter and Lupin's oldest have already expressed interest, but if we can get the rest..."

Hermione shook her head, cutting him off as he opened a folder showing a picture of Sirius and Harriet talking together, from the stamp at the bottom it had been taken at Hogsmeade. A brief flicker of fury crossed her eyes and she took another deep breath. "I am not about to dictate to my children, any of them, what they can or cannot do with their lives."

He shook his head, tapping his finger next to Sirius, "But if you could...suggest it," an eyebrow crooked, "I mean he's an Archmage class wizard...like your daughter and you and your husband," he tapped Harriet, "She's...a combat capable seer...you know how rare those are, the last one that was confirmed was-"

"Her mother," Hermione said flatly, the true origin of Harriet's parentage available at least to those who had the clearance.

"Yes," he said with new enthusiasm, "they normally shut down totally or go insane, and she's already been through two fights that we know of." He pulled out Rain's picture, "Malcolm Kincaid was a legend, almost another Mad-Eye, and the youngest Lupin...she's another metamorph like her mother..."

"No," Hermione growled, "If one or all of them want to join up, I will support them. In fact I would almost expect that all of them will spend at least some time at the academy...However, if they take badges after that, it will be entirely up to them. Not to me, not to Harry, not to Remus or Tonks, not to Dumbledore or Arthur...but to them. Is that understood?"

"But..."

"Is it?"

He nodded grudgingly.

Hermione held his gaze for a moment, "Very well then, if that is all?"

He stood, and nodded his head, scowling slightly. Hermione watched as he left and dropped her head back to the desk after he left.

"Wotcher," Tonks called a beat later, stepping into the office without knocking, and dropping bonelessly into the chair that Blackwand had vacated. She looked back towards the door, "What's up?"

Hermione sighed, and scrubbed her hands over suddenly-tired eyes. "They are trying to recruit the kids."

"Xander and Em are going to go to the academy," Tonks reminded her with a shrug.

"And so is Rain...wherever Em goes, she's there. But they were after Sirius and Harriet...hell even Abby."

Tonks sighed, "It doesn't surprise me, honestly."

"It's our kids, Tonks."

"You weren't here during the grand days of the Bureaucracy. If they can find a way to boost their careers, they will. The kids would be a feather in anyone's hats...Arthur managed to weed a lot of them out, but they are starting to come back."

"It's been bad enough on us..."

"And you don't want them to get hurt," Tonks replied softly, "I know, Hermione-"

"It's not that...well it is, but I know I can't set their lives for them...it's just that they were expecting that I just order the kids into the service or something, like we owed it to them."

Tonks frowned, and stood, "Let's leave, Hermione, I think I'm rather thirsty." Hermione looked at the piles of paper scattered about her desk. Tonks rolled her eyes, "Trust me, it will be here later."

"Alright," Hermione replied, "Let me get my jacket." She reached over and a black dragonhide jacket leapt across the room from a rack. She shrugged it on, shook out her hair from the collar, and let Tonks lead her from the room.

On the desk, just as the lights went out, the tiny version of her in the picture with Harry, Ron and Luna frowned, and dropped her head to Harry's shoulder.

**************************Hogwarts*****************************

November 26, 2015
4:25 pm

Xander's breath formed clouds around his head as he and Emilia slowly paced around the lake, following a well, well-worn trail. Unlike many days, very little wildlife, magical or mundane was in evidence; only humans were daft enough to wander aimlessly in the sub-freezing temperatures of late autumn in the very northern tip of Scotland.

He looked over at her, and frowned as he looked back to their path, not wanting to meet her eyes. Unlike almost every other millisecond of their lives since this summer, where it was possible that is, they were not touching, with a good four feet between them.

Xander shoved his hands deeper in his pockets, and kicked at a stone in his path. Their link was silent, only the faint background 'hum' of their connection letting him know she was still alive...other than the faint scent of vanilla from her hair, and the darker scent of their mixed pheromones wafting to his more than human nose. He swallowed as he glanced over at Emilia out of the corner of his eye to watch her mittened thumb running habitually over the hidden band of her ring.

He took a breath, scenting again his own scent on her; she had at least crawled into bed with him the night before, though with the morning, she had fallen silent, even in class. "What happened, yesterday?"

Emilia looked over at him, and shrugged.

Xander muttered something under his breath, "What happened, Emilia Luna?" he repeated more softly, but somehow more forcefully all the same.

Small hands jammed into the deep pockets of her cloak, which swept the ground behind her, as she looked away, watching the ground. "I lost it, Xander," she said in a small voice. "I lost it...I saw you take that hit...and I lost it..."

"Em..."

"I knew it was Harriet," she whispered painfully, not looking up from her feet, "but I saw you take that hit...and it was the train all over." A soft, choked sob escaped and Xander stepped to her, pulling her against him. She burrowed her way under his cloak, hiding her face from the world behind layers of wool and cotton.

He nodded for a moment, letting her trembling recede, "What happened to Harriet, then?"

"I...I think that the bond partially opened and she only got the power...without the softer side, none of the emotions, the thoughts, and it scared the shit out of her. Sirius has been trying so hard to be 'ready', that he's compartmentalized his feelings for her..."

"What if you had actually gotten through to her..."

"I really don't know...I'd hope that I'd stopped before I really could have hurt her, the room would have protected her from really getting hurt from that attack...but Sirius or I could overpower the wards in there. But...Sirius came in when I went after...his mate..."

"They aren't there yet," Xander objected mildly.

Emilia shook her head as she stepped back, she pulled her mitten off with her teeth and slipped her now uncovered left hand into his right pocket, interlacing his fingers there with hers. She placed the mitten into her pocket with her other hand, and started walking again.

Xander missed a step, staggering slightly as Emilia dropped all of the barriers between them, barriers that, in that instant, he realized she had thrown up unconsciously this morning to...protect him.

"And you are used to that," Emilia went on, leaning into him, "She's not. For you, by now, it's as natural as breathing, you expect to find me there in your head, but she felt his pain, Xander, without the rest of it. Felt the magic without the conscious to control it. It's not like when it starts to establish when our stupid hearts finally beat down our brains, and seal the deal."

"Your folks bonded under duress-"

"Not really," Emilia demurred softly, stopping and turning into him without letting loose of his hand. She looked up into his eyes, across the several inches separating them; "Mum and Dad were working on it since they were eleven, one way or another, yeah the final bit came through a bit of drama, but they, except for that thing with Ginny, were always building to it gradually. Whether it's her powers or some joke of the universe, Harriet was three-quarters of the way there when she came back across. She never had that intervening experience."

"Is that the only reason?"

"That and she loves him and it's scaring the crap out of them." Emilia bit her lip and shrugged, pulling him back towards the castle. Let's go hide somewhere...and just hide together...

You'll think this is squicky... Emilia crooked an eyebrow and Xander shrugged, Your dad showed me a place...well, he showed Sirius, who showed me, but I don't think anyone else knows about it...

I do, Emilia smiled faintly and started them back on the beaten dirt path to the main doors of the castle.

A/N: There it is, next chapter, Crime and Punishment: The darkness returns and the lions' claws start to flex.

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24. Chapter 23: Crime and Punishment

A/N: Here we go, shadows fall... Thanks as usual to Lady Starlight for her splendiferous work. And as usual, I own nothing really. Except, Em, Xan, Harriet, Sirius, Abby, Wendel, Elliot, Rain....You get the idea.

Chapter 23: Crime and Punishment
*****************************Hogwarts*********************************

December 1, 2015
8:55 pm

Soft footsteps disturbed the silence of the otherwise empty seventh-floor hallway leading from the Library wing to the warmth and companionship of Gryffindor Tower. The solitary girl slipping down the hall jumped as a suit of armor crashed to the floor behind her and she spun, her wand filling her hand as her overfilled pack crashed to the floor, spilling out a couple of books.

A scraggly kneazle staggered out, shaking its head as if to drive out some errant thought and she laughed to herself. It looked up at her, and glared with lamp-yellow eyes as if it were her fault, before sauntering off with its tail high.

She shook her head and slipped her wand back into her thigh sheath, before kneeling next to her bag and started to stuff her books back into her pack. A muttered curse slipped from her lips as an inkpot rolled away and under another suit of armor just as she reached for it. She crawled after it, reaching for the pot...

A sudden sharp pain, and blackness were all she knew, as she collapsed to the floor with a thin trail of blood dripping from her scalp.

Quiet, scuffing sounds came from next to the collapsed brunette girl, and a neon-red head of hair, cut in an artfully mussed shag, appeared hovering a few feet above the floor. A fall of silvery fabric slipped to the floor, and the rest of a sixteen-year-old woman in a green-trimmed, short, black skirt and a charcoal jumper with a small, twisted serpent on one breast, appeared.

She leaned forward and yanked up Kris' skirt, ripping it partially in the process as she pulled out the fifth-years' wand and slid it into the waistband of her skirt behind her back. Maraisah looked back over her shoulder, towards a dark alcove, "Well, you fools, are you going to sit there forever?"

Another pair of girls scampered out from the shadows and quickly bound Kris' hands behind her with a glowing rope one of them conjured with their wand. The other flicked her wand, levitating Kris into the air. Kris' books and bag were tossed into a convenient dustbin and they looked back at Maraisah, "What now, Maraisah?"

"Bring the little slag," Maraisah smirked, as she stood from her crouch and folded her invisibility cloak over one arm like a normal garment. She stroked Kris' cheek; "We can have some fun...show that little Potter bitch and her...friends the consequences of going against their proper places."

The trio left with only a faint, dark chuckle, bringing along their unwitting fourth, and vanished into the winding corridors of the castle.

A minute later, two more girls in Gryffindor togs passed the scene, Chastity laughing quietly at some joke that Virginia had heard from her father the last Hogsmeade weekend.

****************************Gryffindor Tower*****************************

11:20 pm

Emilia sat crossed-legged on her bed, just behind Harriet as she tried to work out a knot that Harriet had somehow gotten into her hair during Charms and only noticed when she was brushing her hair out for bed.

Harriet whimpered softly as Emilia tugged on it, trying not to hurt her unduly. "This wouldn't have been so bad if you'd taken care of it earlier," Emilia griped, even as she finished with the brush, freeing the tangle, and running it through Harriet's now past shoulder length hair. Emilia tossed the brush toward her dresser, not watching as it halted halfway and floated over at a sedate pace to drop next to a small compact.

She turned and crawled back up the bed to sit with her back to the headboard next to the other occupant in the room. She grabbed a handful of crisps out of the bowl between her and Rain, and munched on a few, feeding them to herself one at a time with her other hand.

"You really going to stay the night with us girls?" Rain asked sidelong, glancing over at Emilia out of the corner of her eye.

Emilia nodded forcefully, tossing her hair over her face to hide her left eye, "Yeah, it's just one night, and I can feel him," she tapped her temple with one finger, "he's always there..."

Emilia closed her eyes contently, missing the combination on both the other girls' faces of an eyeroll with looks of faint jealously. She opened them again, watching as Harriet flopped on her stomach, facing them, and crossed her bent legs. She laughed as Harriet took a portion of chips twice what she had just eaten, even with Emilia's rather amped metabolism.

Emilia did not say a word, even though she fully expected that someday Harriet would share the increased metabolic load, courtesy of a certain black-haired Gryffindor that Emilia could feel, even now, sitting in the Common Room several floors below.

Neither Emilia nor Rain had mentioned him all night.

The pair had fastidiously been avoiding each other since the near disastrous duel in the Room of Requirement. They still talked occasionally; it was almost unavoidable in the environment of the Tower after all. But neither sat near each other, sitting across and well separated from each other at meals, and always at different tables in the Library or the Common Room, as if they were afraid to touch, even accidentally.

Em shared a quick glance with Rain, after six years they knew what each was thinking, almost as well as she and Xander knew each other. Rain returned a small shrug and looked back to Harriet as the redhead straightened back up from grabbing a bottle of butterbeer that had been set on the floor by the bed. Rain sighed, as Em rolled from the bed and walked over to an enchanted music player that was setting on her dresser. She started to fumble through a box of data crystals, as Rain glared at her back.

"He didn't mean it, Harriet," Rain said into the sudden silence as Em changed one of the crystals. The music started again, now playing Default softly, picking up on Count on Me. Rain gave Em a glance and she just shrugged.

Harriet remained silent, looking away as she grabbed for her butterbeer again.

"Sirius never'd hurt you, Harriet," Emilia said softly as she dropped on the bed next to her. She reached over to brush aside her hair where it covered her eyes, forcing the slightly-older girl to look back at her, "You have to know that." Emilia took a breath, considering what she wanted to actually say, looked over to Rain, and then back at Harriet. "He-"

A crash came from out in the hall, the sound passing through the one-way Silencing Wards on the room, and Emilia turned to the door, her thought unsaid. The door opened a moment later, and another redhead invaded the room, looking out of breath. Virginia looked around, her eyes darting here and there. She was still mostly in her uniform, lacking only her tie, with her white shirt untucked and half-hiding her skirt. Her hair was disheveled as if she had been running her hands through it worriedly, and she had replaced her patent-leather Mary Janes with soft trainers, as if she had been running.

"What's wrong, 'Gina?" Rain asked before anyone else could speak.

"H...Have you seen Kris?" she asked quickly. "She was supposed to meet me back in the tower a couple of hours ago, but no one's seen her, and ou...her bed is still made."

Emilia shook her head, not outwardly noticing the faint slip of the tongue. She stood and walked over to her armoire, "Let us get changed real quick and we'll help you look. Meet us downstairs in a couple of minutes, I'm sure she's just up in a classroom studying or something and forgot the time." Virginia looked as if she believed Em as much as she herself did, but she did not argue as she spun quickly enough for her skirt to flutter up and vanished at a run.

"It's after hours, Em," Rain reminded her as she exchanged her bottoms for jeans. She knelt next to her trunk and touched a discrete rune. A long, low drawer slid out. She pushed up the left sleeve of the sweatshirt she had been planning on sleeping in as she examined the contents of the hidden compartment. Her long, thin sword held the center, with several other objects scattered about, ranging from several palm-sized silver discs, to a vicious-looking curved knife with sharp teeth set on the inside of the curve to a book-sized flat black box with a Muggle push button lock. She ran her fingers over the box, and grabbed out a battered brown leather sheath holding a black handled, use-worn stiletto. She strapped it to her forearm, pulled the shirt down to cover it and looked back at Em. "You have the map?"

Harriet crossed behind Emilia, and dropped to her knees next to her bed as she dug under it for trainers, setting aside her issues for the moment.

"Um...no," Emilia admitted with a frown, "I think, actually that Justin has it, he was going to try to use it replenish his Firewhisky stash, after Ravenclaw's party last week." Rain rolled her eyes but nodded. Emilia looked over her shoulder at Harriet, as the redhead concealed her collapsed staff in the small of her back, "I know..." Her eyes went blank for an instant; "Xander will meet us in the Common Room with Elliot."

Only a few minutes passed before Emilia, Rain and Harriet scampered down the ancient stone stairs to the Common Room. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending how one saw it, the room was almost empty, with only a few Gryffindors, the ones grabbed by Virginia or sent for by Emilia's flicker of a thought. An obscure portrait opened in one corner of the room, and Anna stepped through, yawning, as she finished pulling her hair back into a messy tail.

"I told Nate to wait here," Anna said, looking across to Emilia and Sirius as the latter finished retying his shoes. Nathan appeared as she finished her thought, pulling a shirt down to meet his jeans.

Emilia nodded, not even smiling faintly at the slight flush still on Anna's cheeks, even several minutes after Xander had summoned them with a quick mirror call. Emilia looked over as Lawrence, who had been studying with her brother, wrapped an arm around his sister and murmured something in her ear. She snapped something unheard in response, and Em looked back.

"Good. Anna-"

"He's not going to say anything to the Professors unless we need him to...Em, Dumbledore's not in the castle, he left to go to London right after dinner, some meeting of the Wizengamot, an emergency appeal, I think."

Emilia nodded, understanding what she said as much as what she did not say. "Alright, lets go...We'll split up to cover more ground. Sirius...take Harriet, Virginia and Lawrence with you, start towards the Library. Rain, you and Anna take the Astronomy wing, she might have gone to study in the Arithmancy classroom; I know that there was an assignment due tomorrow. You also might want to swing by Ravenclaw to get you-know-what." She nodded. "Elliot, go with them...Xander and I will head down to the dungeons and start there...We're both Prefects, we should be alright since Smityh is most likely to prowl around down there."

Anastasia nodded, "Listen...if any of the Professors catch you, just tell them that we are looking for...Rachel Caine's Kneazle...she won't sleep without it..."

Just as she finished, Hipper padded past in the company of a white, rather fluffy member of his species, and Emilia nodded to him as he looked up at her with his green eyes. The pair of cats vanished into the castle, slipping out the portrait hole.

Gaheris came down from the girls' stairs and followed, along with a pure white Ferret named Whitey that just happened to belong to the Head Boy.

"If anyone finds her, call in on your mirrors, or if any of your Familiars get a hit."

The rest moved out quickly, slipping out the portrait hole, "Anna?" Em whispered.

"There are more important things, we'll find her, worry about the Professors later, I can always sneak into Ravenclaw, if they sack me."

...................

Sirius moved quickly along the fourth floor hallway, his senses pushing outward and sweeping the area around them. He gave Harriet a small headshake as he found nothing. Slightly ahead of them, Virginia was slamming open doors, with each becoming more frantic in her gestures.

"Sirius," Harriet muttered stepping closer to him than she had in days. A brief flicker of something crossed her eyes and she looked back to Lawrence and Virginia as they examined another room, "are you feeling anything...I'm..."

Both of them fell silent as a familiar aura pulsed, once, weakly from somewhere in front of them and vanished again. Their eyes met and they sprinted past the twins, who fell in after them. Harriet did not question the flicker of power that let her match Sirius stride for stride, her mind was on other things as they headed inexorably towards the door hanging half-open about a hundred meters down the corridor.

Harriet gasped softly as she dodged into the room, just ahead of Sirius. Several desks were overturned and broken. She looked back, and nodded to Sirius as she drew her wand, and pointed it into the room, before waving him forward with her free hand. He darted forward and to the side, and nodded as he covered forward. She leap-frogged him, stepped around the Professors' desk, "SIRIUS," she snapped dropping her wand as she fell to her knees next to the crumpled girl she found there.

He ran to her, "Aw bugger..."

*****************************Godric's Hollow*****************************

"What's wrong, Harry?" Hermione asked quietly. His finger paused for a moment, in its endless orbit of the point of her hip, before it started to move again. She slowly rolled over on the couch, facing him where he lay behind her, and snuggled closer. Hermione picked at the hem of the old Quidditch jersey she was wearing, pulling it loose where it had caught under her.

He moved his fingers down, to trace patterns on her thigh, "I don't know, Mione...do you think we've forgotten something...It just doesn't make sense. They attacked Diagon Alley...and then the Train, going after our kids directly, though the first time was probably a fluke...and then someone went after your parents and Remus, though that last could have just been a fuck up-"

She shrugged and tucked her head under his chin. There were those that would have been bewildered at the cases that were worked on just like this, curled together on their bed or the couch. "I don't know, Harry. With the attacks on us...too..., You're right, something just doesn't add up." Hermione sighed and shivered slightly, even though a fire roaring in the hearth warmed the room.

Harry smiled faintly, and kissed the top of her head, "Should I write this one down?"

"What?"

"You saying that I'm right."

Hermione snorted, "It happens...rarely, though its not like you're Ron or something, that would be memorable." Hermione fell silent and Harry kissed the top of her hair again, leaving his lips pressed lightly against her curls.

It always comes down to that, doesn't it?

Honestly...it does...Luna better hurry her arse up and get back, she still owes me a bloody case of Chocolate Sugar Quills.

Harry laughed; You know that you could just buy a new case...We probably can afford it.

Not the point, Hermione groused.

The gold and red jersey moved up as Harry stroked the small of her back, before letting the tips of his fingers dive under the band of her knickers. I know...Want to go up to bed?

Nah, she smirked and slowly started to nuzzle his throat, we might as well use the time while the kids aren't here.

*****************************Hogwarts*********************************

"No, Virginia," Sirius snapped as the twins ran into the room. Lawrence barely managed to catch her, enfolding her in his arms as she past. She started to fight him, twisting to escape his arms as Sirius dropped to the ground next to Harriet and the girl.

Her uniform was torn, the white back of the shirt bloody. A long rip decorated one side of her skirt, and as Sirius carefully rolled her over onto her back, Harriet whimpered quietly as Kristina's battered face came into view. A large bruise covered one cheek, and blood dripped from a cut above her eye. Her shirt was ripped where the Gryffindor shield normally rode over her left breast. Sirius pointed to the side of the desk, where a small knife was stabbed through the missing patch into the scarred wood.

"KRIS," Virginia screamed as she ran around the desk, having escaped her brother. She pushed Harriet aside roughly and gathered the brunette's head and shoulders in her arms. Virginia sobbed softly as she watched the slow, slightly erratic rise and fall of her chest. "Is she going to be alright, Sirius?" Virginia whispered, her lower lip trembling and slurring her words slightly.

Sirius glanced up as Harriet reached over and plucked his mirror from his pocket and flipped it over, to talk into it lowly. He could just nod, not quite convincingly as Harriet leaned over to whisper in his ear. "Em's on her way, she sent Rain to get Poppy."

Sirius nodded, and sat back to wait for the Mediwitch, as Kristina was breathing, he had done what he could for her. Harriet wrapped her arms around his side, and let one arm fall back over her shoulder. He looked over at her, distantly hearing Virginia's murmurs and entreaties for Kris to wake, and Lawrence's attempts at reassuring his sister.

A heavy, leaden feeling filled his gut, as he looked over at Harriet, and then at Kris, closing his eyes as the brown hair reddened, becoming a spill of color that matched the traces of blood under her unresponsive body.

********************************Hospital Wing****************************

2:20 am

Poppy Pomfrey glowered at the report that wrote itself onto a blank sheet of parchment. She picked up the clipboard and tilted it into the light provided by several Illumination Orbs floating around the Infirmary. She had thoroughly appreciated the day that the newer lighting sources were installed in the castle, supplementing and occasionally replacing the old candles and oil lamps that had driven generations of young wizards and witches to spectacles years too early.

The faintest sigh of relief passed her lips at what she did not find, the beating seemed to be the most of it. A quiet, occasional beep pierced the silence of the room, issuing from the colored orb floating above Kristina's head. Poppy set the clipboard aside and paced to the head of the bed, checking a pair of Potions drips as they fed into the sixteen-year-old's arm.

Her face and hair had been cleaned, and she was wrapped in a soft, hospital robe as she slept while Poppy regenerated several broken bones and innumerable bruises. She shook her head at the thought, that if Miss Spurr had been a Muggle then she might be in trouble, even more than she was. But generally, except for those dark nights after the battle here seventeen years ago, if they were alive when she got them, they stayed that way.

"How is she, Poppy?" a tired baritone asked from well above her ear and behind her.

She spun, jumping slightly, and just for a beat she thought that the old voice was rather odd coming from the apparently, not-even middle aged Wizard in front of her. She took a breath and her gaze hardened, "She is alive, Albus...I thought these things were over in this school."

"Alas, dark times may be upon us all once more, Poppy." He took a breath, and slowly examined the unconscious Gryffindor with more than human sight. "Have they said what caused her...accident?"

"Of course not," Poppy growled, even as she tenderly felt at Kris' forehead, "They told me she was studying and must have fallen and hit her head or something...I don't understand why they won't tell us, it's not like-"

"I am afraid that that is, in the main, by fault," Dumbledore replied sadly, "I squandered my relationship with Harry...did not tell him many things, or others much too late or at the wrong time years ago, and their entire families' trust in me has suffered ever since. You were not able to detect any magical traces on her?" he asked, changing topics in midstride.

"No," a tap of a wand to an empty IV bag and a fresh one flew over from an open cabinet to replace a clear yellow fluid with a red one. "'They' have gotten smarter since Mr. Malfoy's incessant feud with Harry...she was beaten up by fists. Not spells." Poppy tucked a blanket up to Kristina's chin, "Young Mr. Potter was quite livid when they brought her in, though not as much as Miss Weasley...

"Harriet?"

"Virginia."

"Ah...yes."

Poppy nodded, "They are much more open about it, these days, than they were in mine or yours. Under other circumstances it would make me happy to see that...I had to have her dragged out by her friends...Albus, you have to step in, stop this."

"How?" He shook his head, cutting off her objections. "The house of Godric had fallen on hard times before Harry came here, remember that Poppy, when Gryffindor lost everything, when Slytherin simply played the rest of the school like a harp...But then, an eleven-year-old boy arrived, and suddenly he had given them back their spirits, their souls...There were rough patches, yes, but in the end they showed the world exactly who they were..."

"Not all of them made it out of here alive."

"That any did was a miracle," he countered faintly. "That house has found its soul once more, and I, or Merlin himself will not dissuade them now. At least three of their own have been ambushed, including Sirius'...consort."

"Then stop the Slytherins, make Draco..."

"And what, then? We need to find out the reason why, not just stop them, in the end that could be as important or more so than actually finding the perpetrators. No...we will wait and see."

"If one of them dies, Albus, I will never forgive you."

"You will not be the only one, Poppy, I fear I will be the first in that line."

***************************The Great Hall*********************************

December 2, 2015
7:30 am

Virginia ate distractedly, not noticing the food that occasionally passed her lips as she sat under the watchful eyes of her brother and Sirius.

The Great Hall was as normal, full of life and mirth with only an occasional tiff between siblings or lovers to interrupt. Except for a small group at the center of the Gryffindor table, where a sudden, watchful silence had fallen.

They had been successful, for the most part, in explaining Kristina's absence, to those that might notice, as an accident. Poppy, of course, despite her reservations would not say anything, and Dumbledore kept his own council, at least to the students.

Neville had looked sidelong at the small group occupying his table, but had not commented, constrained by Dumbledore's words to him earlier this morning, as he passed to get ready for his morning's classes. Waiting might not be the best course, but it seemed the safest, for now.

Dumbledore watched as Virginia stood, slinging a pack over her shoulder and heading for the hallway, followed by Sirius and Lawrence. He remembered that the fifth years had Charms first thing in the morning, and made a mental note to send a missive to Filius to look after the girl.

"Are you alright?" Sirius asked softly as they gained the hallway leading from the Great Hall towards the rest of the castle and classes. He looked over as Virginia looked over at him with red-rimmed eyes and said nothing, before looking back away from him. Lawrence gave him a helpless look, and turned back to their path.

Sirius shook his head helplessly and followed, he started to reply when an annoyingly familiar voice called from up ahead.

"What's wrong?" Antares Parker sneered from a darkened alcove. He stepped out with his bookend bodyguards at his side, but no hint of Maraisah...who Sirius thought, personally, was much more in charge than her theoretical boyfriend, though he rather thought it was more likely more in the vein of shagging buddies than anything. "Did the little girl have her plaything taken from her...I suppose that you got tired of using your own fingers, eh?"

Virginia slowly darkened, the flush of anger darkening her features even past her normal pallor.

He turned to Plessy, "Though I did hear that the pair of them did give a hell of a show...do you want to give us a show, you'll do, I suppose..."

"Shut the fuck up, Parker," Sirius growled stepping between the now-quivering teen and him. Lawrence set his hand on her shoulder, only to have it shaken off violently.

Parker sneered, "Another Potter butting in..."

A flush of magic filled the youngest Potter, and he fought to keep it from showing. He took a breath, settling himself even as a darker, more practical side was calculating the exact distance to the three Slytherins, and the opening moves to a dance that would leave the trio of serpents on the floor, moaning if they were lucky. Even as the thought crossed his mind, another part of him understood they had learned from their attack on Harriet, this confrontation was in a major hallway, one that would mostly likely hear the footsteps of a Professor soon.

A flare of red passed to his side, cutting off his ruminations, as Virginia charged. A roar sounded in Sirius ear as Virginia escaped from her brother, dodged under Sirius' frantic grasp in a move that she had been trained in since she was eight or nine, under the same trainers who trained the Aurors and operatives of the Ministry.

A small fist flashed, and impacted with a wet crunch on the side of Plessy's nose. He staggered back, his hands coming up to his nose.

"MISS WEASLEY," Minerva McGonagall snapped from somewhere behind her, and Virginia froze, even as she was already starting to engage the others. Sirius glanced back as McGonagall came up, her dark eyes flashing behind square frames. She stopped with her hands on her hips, "Was there a reason for this...outrage?"

Virginia's brown eyes flashed, "Just that he is a...wanker, Ma'am."

It was only through the dint of knowing Minerva McGonagall literally since he was born that allowed Sirius to notice the faint flicker of amusement that crossed her face, before her expression tightened even further. "That may very well be so, Miss Weasley, but that is not an excuse for fighting in the halls."

Plessy snorted and moaned as the sound passed his nose.

McGonagall spun on him, "And you, go to Madame Pomfrey this instant, I am sure that you do not want me to properly investigate your activities." She pointed and Plessy and his minions scurried off, like cockroaches when someone turned on the kitchen light. "As to you, Miss Weasley, I think that a week of detention with your Head of House will cool your temper."

Virginia nodded glumly, even as she looked up and to the right, towards the hospital wing where she had planned to spend the night until Poppy drove her out, and where, if she thought she could have prevailed against her family, Sirius and Emilia included, she would be still. Her complaints that Emilia had not left Xander's side, except for that brief morning in Charms fell on deaf ears. "Yes, Ma'am."

"I will tell him to expect you this evening," Virginia just nodded, and McGonagall took a step, and paused, briefly to rest her hand on Virginia's shoulder, in lieu of the hug she could not give.

"Let's just get to class," Virginia snapped lowly, heading off at a near run to Charms.

******************************Hogwarts Tower****************************
December 3, 2015
2:12 am

Virginia Weasley lay awake, carefully not moving as she looked out the window at the light snow falling outside. Her remaining roommates had not said a word as she crawled into what was technically Kristina's bed and pretended to sleep. She had felt Emilia and Harriet come in and check on her earlier, they had already dragged her from Kristina's bedside earlier this evening after Virginia had served her detention. A detention that under any other circumstance she would have taken with a bit of pride.

The entire day, even as she sat through the seemingly never-ending classes, and then the detention with Neville, who had only made her grade third-year papers, she had heard Plessy's words over and over again in her head, like a never-ending newsreel. The words all but admitting that he had had at least some knowledge of the attack on her girlfriend.

A hard, dark look filled her eyes, and had probably caused Em's bedcheck on her before midnight. She silently rolled from the bed, and grabbed a small, leather pouch from her bedside table, one that she had inconspicuously placed there earlier. Bare feet made no sound as she slipped out of her room and down the stairs to the empty Common Room, bare of even a cleaning House Elf or a napping Familiar. She looked around the room, even though she knew Emilia had gone up to sleep with Xander.

Virginia gave one last look around the common room before she reached into the pouch and grabbed a handful of sparkling dust and flinging it into the low fire. Instantly the flames filled the large fireplace, and turned emerald green. "Laughing House," she muttered stepping into the flames and vanishing.

She stepped out into a large, darkened living room, a thousand kilometers from Hogwarts. There was only the dim light coming in from the windows to guide her as she effortlessly dodged the tables and other furniture, having lived in this house since she was two, when her father had completed construction on it. She looked around, and walked straight at a wainscoted wall, passing through it, to the landing of a set of spiral staircases down. Softly glowing illumination orbs lit as she headed down, her bare feet still making no noise.

Fred Weasley had always taken his work home with him, being as apt to work on a joke or invention in his room with George or in his dorm room, or in the apartment over the original store that for a brief period he, Angelina, Alicia and George had shared. Like their fortunes and business interests, Fred's workshop had expanded, and even though he now had paid teams of researchers working under the Weasley Enterprises banner, he and George for that manner, still worked on inventions on an almost daily basis.

Especially on things that would, could, possibly be used by family.

During the war, the Twins had developed more than a few weapons and gadgets that were still in use by the Ministry's forces, but that had never really stopped. It was only when Hermione had laughingly called them Q1 an Q2 that they had stopped and realized that somehow, some of the more, special, inventions were reserved for the use of the Potters and Lupins, and a few others, Gabrielle among them.

Virginia padded along the concrete floor of the secret basement, passing effortlessly through several defensive wards that would have frozen in their tracks, or worse, anyone who literally did not have Weasley or Potter blood flowing through her veins. She passed a table filled with new, prototype versions of the Fanged Frisbees, several flashbangs, and a large, glowing crystal that she knew fed the gatling.

But none of those were her primary goal. All through the day, she had thought about what Plessy had said, smirking in his safety as he lounged in Slytherin's Dungeon. A brief thought of a direct confrontation had passed her mind more than once, only to be shot down.

Instead she smirked darkly as she stepped into a small, partitioned room, and looked at a baggy jumpsuit hanging on a mannequin. The fabric it was composed of seemed to drink the light, as if it were a body-shaped black hole. A large bellows pocket sat on either leg, and a hood fell back from the top. Soft boots were built into the legs, and if one looked closely, a band of faint runes, a bare shade lighter than the rest of it wrapped around the each of the legs and arms.

A flick of a wand and it lifted from the dummy to float over to her, and dropped over the back of a chair. She stared at the suit for a minute and with a sudden decision, jerked off the sweats she had 'slept' in. She stripped the rest of the way, briefly flashing back to her mild embarrassment this summer, when her father had let her help test the first prototype, and had informed her, with slightly red ears, that the suit was designed to be worn against the skin, and just the skin.

She stepped into it, and shrugged the sleeves on, before closing the front with a finger running along the seam, activating the Sealing Charm. The suit hung on her small frame like a huge, shapeless black sack for a minute, then with a sudden rush shrank to her skin, outlining the curves that she had just started to develop this summer. The runes around her arms and legs flared blue, once, and vanished, establishing the speed and strength enhancing charms.

Sobs tried to rise up, as she remembered what Kristina had said to her when she first saw it on her this summer, only to be shaken off by a fresh flare of anger. She stepped to her abandoned clothes, and flicked her wand, vanishing them, before slipping it into a conformal sheath on her leg and filled the thigh pockets with several of the gadgets from the tables and cabinets surrounding her. She looked around the room once more, and pulled up the hood, covering her fire red hair, and vanished.

Only the sound of a single groaning tread on the cast-iron stairs filled the basement, before the lights went out, plunging it into darkness.

A/N: Next Chapter, Hell hath no fury.

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25. Chapter 24: Hell Hath no Fury

A/N: A darkness of the heart. Thanks as usual to Lady Starlight for her work on this chapter.
Chapter 24: Hell Hath No Fury

****************************Hogwarts***********************************

3:20 am

The Slytherin Dungeons were barely lit this late at night, but none of that mattered to the ghost slipping along the walls, looking down the corridors to find them seemingly in a perpetual green-tinged twilight. A kneazle paused as she passed, unseen, and scented the air. Finding nothing, it continued on its nocturnal rounds, to report to its master.

The ghost stopped at a tall, thin portrait of a rather wicked looking thin man, with a long, pointed black goatee, and perpetual sneer. He was sleeping in a green and silver armchair, a thick book lying unheeded on his lap.

A small box appeared from nowhere on the floor underneath the portrait and with the touch of a wand, of which only the very tip was visible, the box shook. A thin, yellow mist slowly rose from it, engulfing the portrait. The occupant seemed to go into an even deeper sleep as the frame opened like a doorway with an almost inaudible squeak, victim to a Marauders Master Key. Before now, this device had only seen the light of day, relatively speaking, in the hands of the Potters' black ops teams.

The box vanished again, slipped back into an invisible pocket, and the portrait closed without a sound.

.....................

A thick, oaken door opened slowly on a dark room hidden deep beneath the bowels of Hogwarts. A tiny pellet flew in through the cracked door, even as it slipped closed again, and exploded into a fall of greenish mist with a faint POP. The gas slowly spread, falling over the four beds clustered around the periphery of the room. A minute, then two passed before the door opened once more, just enough to let a small woman pass, though none seemed to.

Bancroft, sleeping with a ferocity almost unheard of for one who was in fact, alive, in his bed nearest the door, shook slightly as if something or someone shoved on his shoulder. He did not so much as grunt in response, and a faint, satisfied noise came from nowhere. A floorboard creaked, and stopped suddenly. A minute passed with no response from the occupants of the room, before a patch of air wavered, and Virginia appeared, her hair falling down in a short tail, over the black of her suit.

She moved quickly through the rest of the room, to stop at the bed in the very back. The curtains were closed, and with a quick jerk, her wand pointing and already lit red, she ripped them open. A faint, dark sound escaped as she witnessed the occupants of the bed, curled together, with a head of impossibly red hair spread over a pale chest.

She grimaced at the sight; it had been a persistent rumor that the pair had been shagging since their fourth year, a decision unheard of in the other houses, mostly due to the possible consequences. But to Virginia, at this moment, the thought that either of them would be willing to use the black version of a Contraceptive Charm-that worked just fine, even if the male was under sixteen, it just had other, drawbacks, most notably the need to sacrifice an animal and other things, to establish the ward-was not terribly surprising.

A quick headshake shook off the thought and Virginia slowly peeled back the sheet, and scowled as she found both of them nude, with a faint whiff lofting to her nose telling her just what they had been doing. She flicked her wand, and with a quick Switching Spell, Parker was dressed, in a t-shirt and boxers anyway.

Another wand flick and he rose into the air, shaking off Maraisah and letting her flop to the bed, totally unaware that her 'boyfriend' was floating two feet above her. A tap and he faded away, leaving an almost invisible outline. Virginia pulled her hood back up and vanished, and slowly the faint outline moved towards the door, as the sheets and curtains reset themselves.

The door closed again and all was still once more.

*****************Laughing House, 10 km south of Ottery St. Catchpole***********

December 3, 2015
5:25 am

Fred Weasley had never embraced the existence of the hours between midnight and eight AM willingly unless in the company of a good bottle of Firewhisky, or in the arms of his wife, unless, of course, profit could be exchanged for his lack of sleep. He yawned mightily as he padded down the stairs to his hidden lab, cradling a mug of Columbian Roast that his family's house-elf, Ringer, had handed him without a word as Fred had reached the bottom of the stairs from the upstairs bedrooms.

Fred took another sip and idly reminded himself to give Ringer another raise, and waved his hand in the air, setting the Illumination Orbs about the basement to full power. He slowly headed through his workshop, pausing to play with a device or gadget here and there. He picked up a Fanged Frisbee and flung it the length of the basement, watching as it deployed its blades in mid-flight before ripping a target in the image of Delores Umbridge in half.

WWW surprisingly still sold an inordinate number of the cardboard cutouts with bright red bull's-eyes over the toad's forehead and heart, even after she had had been in Azkaban for years. The accountants expected an upsurge in the product's sales after her release in a few months.

He laughed at the thought and walked into the final room at the end of the basement, where his truly special toys where kept and worked on. He looked to the side as he entered, to examine a man-portable version of the wand-cannon he and his brother had demonstrated to the Ministry earlier this year, and he turned back to the main wall, towards the mannequin that was holding the day's star attraction for the showing at the Ministry in a few hours and froze.

It was gone.

The suit had been an outgrowth of the various shield hats and cloaks, and vanishing hats from their school days. Harry had commented once, to George, that while the invisibility cloaks worked well, they tended to catch on things, not the best situation for an infiltration into some villain's lair. Besides the obvious, the invisibility, the suit also masked heat and scent, the primary markers for guard beasts, and could partially mask auras. Strength and speed enhancing charms circled the limbs, though the current suit was actually the second prototype, the first had overloaded when Hermione put it on this summer and fully powered up.

Fred had adjusted the charms to give less of a multiplier after that, so as currently, most users could expect about a five-fold increase in speed and a touch more than that in strength. The suit had protective capabilities slightly better than the current shield cloaks, but could only stand a few moderate hits before the magical charge was depleted.

He walked over to the workbench set on one wall and touched his wand to a mirror set on one wall, and muttered a sentence, that included several nonsense words, obviously passwords.

A swirling moiré filled the mirror for a minute until a dimly-lit ragged mop of black hair filled the image. It pulled back slightly to frame Harry's tired visage and Harry yawned. Hermione could be seen sitting up in the background, holding a sheet to her chest, Harry looked back at her, and then back to the mirror, "What, Fred...are you calling to let me know that you'd like to be a toad until Christmas...because it can be arranged."

"The suit is gone," Fred cut him off; he glanced towards flaming letters superimposed over Harry's image at the bottom of the mirror. "The only fully functional one that is..."

Instantly, Harry snapped fully awake, "How..."

"I think..." Fred took a breath, "my daughter has it."

Hermione leaned around Harry, pushing into the image. "Where is she now...and why would she take it even?" she asked even as she was looking to Harry, and a flicker of a conversation passed between them, almost visible on the air. "Something's wrong..."

****************************Head's Suite********************************

5:40 am

Blue eyes snapped open as a low buzzing sound drove back the utter silence of the Head's suite. She looked over to her left at a soft groaning response, and rolled her eyes, before blowing a lock of hair of chestnut curls out of her eyes. The buzz sounded again, shaking the small bedside table, and she groaned as well.

"Anna..." Nathan muttered sleepily, "another ten minutes..."

She rolled over onto her stomach, reaching blindly for the mirror as it buzzed again, and cursed as it fell from the table to land open on the floor next to the bed. She hung her head over the edge, only to find her own face, more or less, looking back at her except for chocolate eyes replacing her own. Anna reached up and pushed her hair back, "What, Hermione?" she snapped peevishly.

Hermione waited a moment, "Sis...you might want to remember to cover up or answer the call in voice only next time."

Anastasia looked down, and scooted back onto the bed, "What, Hermione?" she repeated in a more measured tone, jumping slightly and looking back as Nathan started to walk his fingers along her leg.

"Have you seen, Virginia?" Hermione went on, with a faint edge, which Anna immediately noticed.

"Um..." she replied slowly, "Not at the moment....why do you ask?"

Hermione took a breath as her eyes narrowed imperceptibly; they flicked back to someone standing out of sight of the mirror, presumably Harry, and back at her sister. "What is going on, Anastasia?"

"What do you mean?"

Hermione looked back to Harry again, "Harry and I will be there by breakfast, I have a feeling that there is a bit of explaining to be undertaken. By very possibly more than one person."

Anastasia sighed as Hermione vanished from the mirror, and rolled onto her back, staring up at the blank canopy of the bed. She looked over at Nathan, to find him asleep once more. She lifted her left hand above her face, catching the light of the single candle in the facets of the square diamond, set on a platinum band she had worn there since Halloween. No one else knew, not even Draco who had helped Nathan pick out the ring, nor Emilia or the rest, or even her own sister, they had wanted to tell their families at Christmas.

She sighed again, and turned the ring to the inside of her palm, activating the charm that hid it. She flopped her head to the slide and reached up, grabbing a pillow, and swatting Nathan with it. He groaned. "Get up," she said, rolling over to kiss his ear before standing and pacing to the window overlooking the grounds. She stretched and Nathan whistled from the bed, silencing at a look as she pulled on knickers and jeans from the pile on the floor, before pulling an overly large black commando sweater over her head. "The shit has hit the fan."

He looked at her quizzically, and she sighed, "Hermione and Harry are on their way, and Virginia is somehow involved...no, I don't know how, I'm going to go check up on her. Meet me in the Gryffindor Common Room, as soon as you get dressed...and go get Em and Xander out of his room."

"Alright," he replied, accepting a quick kiss and watching as she left quickly. The slam of the door leading to the Gryffindor Common Room reached his ears a minute later and he sighed, rolling out of bed and delving for clothes on the floor, sighing as he belatedly realized that the sweater that Anastasia had put on; was his.

******************************Hogwarts*********************************

5:55 am

Deep within the depths of Hogwarts, even with the increase in attendance that the school was undergoing there were still classrooms, and even entire floors in certain wings and towers that were unused, waiting for the eventual day when the castle would be fully utilized.

Far down one of those corridors on the fifth floor, a floor down from the seldom-used landing platform on the roof of the Northwest tower, a single classroom was occupied. Piles of desks had been swept away from the center of the room, directly under a spiked iron chandelier that was still filled with beeswax candles, unlike the retrofitted parts of the castle, which might have gas lights or even Illumination Orbs.

A small woman, as the Weasley women tended to be, sat cross-legged on the Professor's desk, the hood of the skin-tight black suit tossed back, to let slightly sweaty hair fall like blood over her shoulders. The zipper was down slightly, letting in the cool air of the castle, exposing sweaty skin. She frowned as she drew her wand from her leg sheath and flicked it at the crumpled man in boxers and a torn t-shirt.

Ropes shot out from her wand and instantly cords bound him at ankles and wrists, pulling him spread-eagled. She flicked her wand again, and he groaned, and his eyes opened.

"Wha...what..." his head snapped around until he found Virginia, "What are you doing, you little slag?"

She ignored him as she slipped from the desk. She slowly paced around several of the closely-packed desks at the edge of the room, to look outside at the darkness. Warm breath fogged the window and she slowly drew a name in the condensation before she wiped it away and turned back to him. "I'm going to see if Slytherins really do have red blood."

A swish of a wand, and a thin line of blood appeared on his cheek. His eyes widened as he stared at her speechless, even beyond the sudden burst of pain. "You...bitch..."

She smiled darkly and knelt next to him, patting his cheek. His eyes flickered to her partially unzipped top, and she zipped it, quickly, as a fresh flare of anger crossed her eyes. She patted his cut cheek, "I hope you liked what you saw...it'll be the last, you'll see."

"Wasn't much, explains why you..."

A fist snapped out, augmented by the magic in the suit, and he grunted and tried to curl into a ball only to be stopped by the ropes around his wrists and ankles. He coughed and tried to snarl a response, only to be stymied by lack the seeming lack of air. "Why I what?" Virginia asked sweetly, "Why I sleep with a girl?" She stood and kicked him, he cried out and she took a step back. "Is that why you hurt her?" she snapped, and kicked at him again, to his fortune almost totally missing him in her anger.

"She never hurt you, you Son of a Bitch," Virginia went on, her voice rising, her eyes flashing as she started to pace. Her wand jabbed at the ropes and they tightened, lifting him from the floor and stretching him out. He cried out, and she spun on her heel, "She just wanted to get her OWLs and NEWTs and be a Creatures Healer...She didn't give a shit what you sick freaks did in your cave."

Parker fought his bonds again, "I knew there was a reason why she liked you...AHHH" he screamed as she closed quickly and kicked him, this time not missing. Her wand flashed and his lips sealed even as she leapt backwards, the tip of her wand lighting with a silvery light...

A blue bolt snapped from the doorway, sending her wand tumbling off into the corner of the room. She glanced over just in time to catch a bit of motion as Sirius dove from the doorway, tackling her to the ground. They hit the ground tumbling and she flung him away, halfway across the room, as the Strength Enhancing Charms kicked in.

She stood, looked for her wand, and a thick red beam ripped across from the doorway to hit her in the side. It overloaded the Shielding Charms with a cascade of yellow lightning and Virginia collapsed as if her strings had been cut. Emilia nodded to her brother, taking a breath as her eyes slowly faded from the emerald suns they had been as her and her brother sprinted the length of the castle, following the trail of the Marauder's' Map before Virginia could kill Parker.

Sirius sat up, shaking his head slightly but none the worse for wear. He stood and walked over to Virginia and checked on her, before summoning the redhead's wand. Sirius looked back at his sister, who glanced down at Parker. He started to twist in his bindings and fight the Silencing Charm.

She stunned him contemptuously, and vanished the ropes. "Now what?" Sirius shrugged and sat on a desk.

"It depends," a new voice said, one quite like Emilia's own, and both of the Potter siblings looked to the door. Hermione walked into the room, stepped over the unconscious Slytherin and knelt next to Virginia. Hermione felt her forehead and looked back over her shoulder at Emilia, "Overcharged stunner?" she asked, frowning.

"I had to, Mummy," Emilia replied with a faint hint of desperation in her voice, "She was going to..."

Hermione held up her hand and Virginia's wand shot to her, a touch of an ivy-wood shaft to Virginia's and, "Yeah, she was," Hermione confirmed, "or at least hurt him." Hermione looked at her watch and looked around where they were, she started to open her mouth, but closed it as she thought better. She took a breath, "What do you two think we should do?"

Emilia looked at her brother and back, "You're asking us...you're here, Dad's here, I guess."

"Up in the tower with Anna, yes," Hermione confirmed, "What do you think we should do, do you want an open war with Slytherin, or?"

"Yes," Sirius replied immediately and both Potter women looked to him, and he sighed, shrugging, "but that wouldn't be the best course of action, would it?"

"It can be," Hermione replied vaguely, "what are your goals? I can tell you that Albus will not allow such a thing, despite whatever feelings he has on the matter. He's can't allow that to happen, he would not be able to hide the events. You would be going in direct opposition to him."

"If we did...would you and Dad support us?" Emilia asked softly. She shared a look with her brother, as Hermione brushed Virginia's hair out of her eyes, absently pulling out a tangle she found there from the hood out the suit.

Hermione looked up at them, she gnawed her lip for a moment, "Of course, if that's what you chose."

Emilia sighed and shook her head, "Obliviate him, Mum, you get Virginia back to the Tower, and wandbrain and I will take care of him."

Hermione nodded, smiling absently as she pointed her wand towards Parker's head, "Obliviate."

*************************Headmaster's Office******************************

7:10 am

In the end, Hermione Granger nee Potter was never one for much toleration of prevarication. Even with her chosen profession, it grated on her, cutting against her very foundation of knowledge and truth. It was one thing, of course, to keep one's knowledge and plans from the enemy. It was another, to keep such things from one's friends.

It was in that vein that she strode into Dumbledore's office, her temper and magic tightly leashed as she stepped through the heavy oak door, not bothering to even pretend to use the griffin knocker. She stalked around the various small tables and shelves holding a plethora of silver instruments to stop in front of Dumbledore's desk and perch on the arm of the chair that Harry was already occupying, sipping from a mug of rather strong coffee.

Harry slowly lifted his other hand, resting it on the thin stripe of skin that showed at the small of her back, right over the crossed hilts of her daggers. His fingers slowly rubbed there in a small circle, and she glanced down at him, a faint flicker of affection showing in her eyes fleetingly before she looked back up at the rest of the room. The pair of them sat silent, watching Dumbledore as he looked back at them over steepled fingers, his ice-blue eyes only faintly twinkling.

Hermione pushed back against the hand of the only person in the world, at least that was at Hogwarts, besides possibly Poppy, that she was not at least partially annoyed with, if not outright furious at. She licked her lips, and glanced over at Minerva and Neville as they stood silently to one side, and then over to the other, at Draco as he leaned on a window sill, with the stained glass casting odd colored patterns over his pale hair. She shook off the sudden reminder of Lucius in his stance; Draco had paid too much to be compared to his father, despite what he had done to them when he was a teenager, and licked her lips.

"Why, exactly," Hermione began, slowly looking at each of them in turn, "are Harry and I only now hearing from any of you about the events here?" Hermione carefully did not mention the notice earlier in the year from her sister about the attack on Chastity; she had already discussed not receiving any notice of the later incidents with the Head Girl. "Why we had not heard of the attack on Harriet, nor of the attack on Kristina, which started the events leading to this morning's little...incident."

"By rights I should demand Virginia's expulsion, at least," Draco growled, "She broke into my house..."

"Draco," Hermione hissed, "you are the very last person in the whole bloody universe who should talk."

"It was an internal Hogwarts matter, Hermione," Dumbledore said reassuringly, to meet a redoubling of her glare.

"Last time I looked," she looked down at Harry, then at the Sorting Hat sitting quiescent on a shelf behind Dumbledore's desk, directly under a portrait of Phineas Nigellus, "my husband was Lord Gryffindor, which would make me Lady Gryffindor...by right of conquest, if we want to play that game, Lord Slytherin as well...It seems that we would have an, intrinsic, interest in Hogwarts affairs...Putting aside the whole point that it was our children who were involved in this."

"There has always been a bit of rough and tumble between Slytherin and Gryffindor," Neville put in, and Hermione slowly turned to look at him, her eyebrow crooking.

She visibly paused, "Because you and Parvati are friends, I'm not going to remind you how asinine that comment just was, Neville," Hermione retorted and he nodded, conceding the point. She looked back to Dumbledore, "Especially in light of the fact that at the start of the term, the train was attacked. Nor in light of the fact that at least one of the Slytherins involved in the various altercations has a father that is even now in Azkaban awaiting trial on several charges. The very one, in fact, which Virginia seems to think attacked her girlfriend."

Both of the Potters noticed that no one was terribly surprised about that revelation.

McGonagall cleared her throat, and Hermione twisted to look at her, leaning into the hand that Harry was steadying her with. "Hermione," Minerva said, looking over to Dumbledore and back, "I hate to say this, but even so, Virginia can not get off scot-free, she did break into Slytherin to kidnap him, and was going to-"

"Minerva," Hermione interrupted with deadly calm, "she did not do anything that I would not have done in a similar situation, if it were Harry who was still in the Hospital Wing...In fact, I seriously doubt that his assailants would have lasted this long. I would guess that it took her an hour or two to work up to what she did do to him."

"Sirius and Emilia have left Mr. Parker in a place where it will be assumed that he was the victim of a prank gone bad," Harry put in, as Hermione huffed softly and slid down from the arm of the chair to half sit on his lap in the oversized chair. "In that the Slytherins will not be able to retaliate except with a prank, in fear of crossing the line into open conflict. And they will not be able to accuse the Gryffindors of the same, especially with Mr. Parker's memory modified, which it would have had to been anyway as the infiltration suit, at the very least, is on the Official Secrets List."

"Indeed," Dumbledore looked over at McGonagall, "it would be best to put this to rest..."

"No," Harry said flatly, "It would be best to put the fear of God and Merlin into certain members of Draco's house...but to the degree that it would require to get them to actually stop their schemes would be...messy."

Hermione nodded, leaning her head back against his shoulder as she covered her mouth, letting a small yawn escape.

They had been on an hour of sleep when Fred called them, and for less than pleasurable purposes. A team of Death Eaters had attacked a small village in Glasdonberry, most likely in retaliation for the arrest of Cassandra Greene, a suspected Death Eater from the last war, after a witness had come forward with testimony of her involvement in several mysterious Muggle deaths last year.

"However," Hermione went on reluctantly, her temper blunted more by the arm around her waist than anything else, even as a small part of her cringed inside at the knowledge that Harry was repressing his own anger, even though it was not, could not be, held deep enough for her to not feel it. "However," she repeated, "there is a codicil...Our sprogs know the value of restraint...Merlin knows that we've spent a long time teaching it to them..." Hermione swallowed faintly at some bleak memory, "But, if one of their friends...or loved ones get hurt, there will be no place in this castle for the guilty to hide, and the non-guilty might get hurt."

"It is not their place to-" McGonagall sputtered, only to be interrupted by Hermione's soft, growl.

"Don't," she replied flatly, as she sensed Harry unable to speak, or rather not trusting his voice at the moment. "You and the rest treated us like...mushrooms..." Neville and Draco both fought sudden coughing fits, "I'm not treating my own like that." She slowly levered herself out of the chair, a glance and a shared nod, and Harry followed her as they both headed towards the door, "What are you going to do when it's Elliot going after one of them when they go after Abby, Neville? Or when Justin decides that he doesn't give a...damn about who his dad is, when some wanker is good enough to get Rain, Draco?"

Both Draco and Neville frowned, shrugging, as Hermione placed her hand on the door knob, "Harry and I are going to go check up on our kids, and I'm going to go talk to Virginia...I assume that you know that she's punishing herself more than you could, now that she's calmed down."

Hermione stepped through the door and headed down the ever-circling stairs, and Harry looked back towards the Hogwarts' Staff, still standing around Dumbledore's desk, "Albus...please, I understand why you are trying to keep this discrete, and you're right for the most part...but please don't force my children into opposition with the staff...You did that with Hermione and I when we were their age, and this time...I guarantee that they will have backup." Harry looked at Neville pointedly and left, closing the door behind him with a soft thump.

Neville closed his eyes, and took a breath; he turned to Dumbledore, "He's right...You can sack me if you want, Albus...but he's right." He pushed off from the wall and headed for the door, I'll be in the Hospital Wing if you need me, to check on one of my Lions..." He stopped at the doorway, "Draco...Shut your house down, if another of them cross the line, they won't have to worry about my Lions...they'll worry about me."

******************************Norway***********************************

"What word, of the efforts at Hogwarts?" a dark, silky, almost serpent-like voice asked from beneath a hood, as he and a pair of other similarly clad beings walked down a nearly abandoned hallway, stepping over bits of ice on the ancient, stone floor.

Xavier Hamilton looked over, his breath forming white clouds in the ever-present cold of winter above the artic circle, "My daughter reports some success, M'Lord, at least with the ones on the periphery...She begs forgiveness that she has not been able to affect the Potter's brats...directly."

"And?"

Xavier looked past his master to Crandle Jacobson, who's face held a slight sneer. Xavier sighed, almost inaudibly, "She also fears that...Antares, will soon out live his usefulness. She reports that he was blamed for her latest strike, though it was only against one of the Gryffindor slags...I think she was a particular friend of one of the Weasleys if I remember correctly...She begs permission to act more covertly, she fears that Antares may be compromised."

Crandle snorted, "His father is useless, rotting in a Ministry Cell, it would be no loss."

"Silence, Crandle," the still unnamed one hissed and turned to Xavier, stopping and looking at him from under the depths of his hood. "Your daughter is shagging him, yes?"

Xavier nodded reluctantly, "Yes, Sire."

A faint laugh, and the Dark One started off again, the heels of his boots clacking softly against the frosted flagstones. The other two fell in line with him. "It is to be expected, a sense of...attachment, but do not let it get in her way. My predecessor once put his efforts onto another student...She must take care that she does not disappoint as he did. She will be rewarded if we succeed, but only death awaits her if we do not."

Xavier nodded heavily.

"Now what of the other efforts?"

"She is being watched...we will have resources in place to retrieve her when the time is right..."

He laughed quietly, "And how did your daughter manage to accomplish that?"

Xavier snorted, "She seduced a Hufflepuff, let him think she was going to leave Antares for him, and then Obliviated him afterwards."

"Excellent, now we only await the proper time, and place."

************************Hospital Wing**********************************

8:30 pm

Maraisah looked over across the infirmary, and sneered at the group sitting around a bed at the furthest corner of the room as possibly could be had. She slowly bent forward from the chair she was sitting at, and kissed Antares, running her fingers along his cheek as she sat up and stood. "I will be back, luv..."

He nodded and closed his eyes tiredly, the potions Poppy had him on, after he, 'fell down the stairs', were rather strong.

Maraisah bent down and kissed him again, before she walked around the bed and headed for the door, pausing just coincidentally next to the bed where Kristina was still sleeping, "I know you did this, Potter," she growled, glaring down at the head of black curls that was deep in the pages of a Muggle novel, "I don't care that he can't remember...You'll pay."

Emilia slowly looked up and shook her head at Rain; the pair of them were sitting with Kristina, while Virginia served her detention with Neville. She continued to look up, and let the faintest tendril of magic leak, "It's over, Maraisah," Emilia said softly, her eyes glittering. "Don't continue; I don't want to have to hurt you."

"Just go," Rain put in shortly, leaning forward as Kristina coughed, heavily and shook, the potions that Poppy was just now able to give her to reduce her bruising, taking effect, "You and yours have done enough."

"I'll say when it's enough," Maraisah snapped and her hand flicked to her wand, her fingers just touching it when the point of another dimpled the soft skin under her chin.

"MISS POTTER," Poppy Pomfrey snapped, stepping out of her office, and reaching for her own wand, "what is the meaning of this."

Emilia slowly lowered hers, dropping it on Kris' bed as she picked her book back up, "Miss Hamilton was just leaving, Ma'am."

"This isn't over, bitch," Maraisah growled just loudly enough for Em and Rain to hear and straightened, nodding to the medic as she left. Poppy examined the remaining Gryffindors for a moment then nodded to herself and returned to her office.

"I know," Emilia muttered to herself, looking to the now closed door.

****************************Gryffindor Tower*****************************

December 5, 2015
9:20 pm

Sirius Potter sat alone in front of the fire built in the grate, as he fitfully studied, paging slowly though a thick sheath of notes on Transfiguration. He had an exam on Tuesday, a whole four days away, but he could not seem to concentrate. He sighed and chucked the notes to the other end of the empty couch, dropping his head to his hands as an unbidden image of red hair, spilling limply over stone floor, covering a face that he no longer needed to see to know. That somehow he had never needed to see, to know.

His hands shook as his imagination insisted on showing him the rest, the dream that had kept him up the night before, her crumpled and broken body in the midst of the shattered desks where they had found Kristina. Her clothes torn nearly away and a thin pool of red spreading from her head, as he desperately shook her shoulders, the very air seemingly gone from his lungs.

"Sirius?" a quiet voice asked hesitantly from behind and to his right, and he slowly let out a breath as he turned, finding her. She frowned slightly, a sight that caused a faint unsettled sensation, and sat on the edge of the seat across from him. "Are you alright?"

He shrugged, and stretched to the side, picking his notes back up and paging through them again, not looking up at her.

Her lower lip filled her teeth, and she watched him for a moment, before reaching out across the distance, placing her hand on his notes. Sirius sighed heavily, "Do you mind, Harriet, I need to study."

She pulled her hand back quickly, as if snake bit, curling them in her lap together. "Do you need any help?" Her voice was softer than normal, and shaking almost unnoticeably...except to those who knew her better than themselves.

"No, I should do this myself," Sirius replied flatly, his eyes slowly panning along the angled, spiky writing.

"Alright," she whispered painfully and stood. She reached out again for him and stopped halfway, pulling her hands back and slipping them deep into the pockets of her loose jeans. She walked away, her eyes shimmering faintly in the light of the fire as she headed for the girls stairs. A soft whistle, and a huge white wolf lifted his head from his post, lying on the warm stones of the hearth and leapt to her side, following her up the stairs, watching as she barely avoided running into the wall.

After another minute Sirius flung his notes to the side, sending them crashing in a blizzard of loose parchments as they hit the far arm of the couch. He looked up towards the stairs where Harriet had just vanished, and stared at the empty stone archway for a long, silent minute before he stood and paced angrily up the other stairs, leaving his notes askew over the floor. I'm sorry, he whispered, though to whom he did not know, it's better this way, though, he added, morosely, as he reached the door to his room and slammed it behind him, with a thump that sounded back down to the Common Room.

A/N: There you go. S/H will be back.

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26. Chapter 25: Release

A/N: Another week, another chapter. Just in case you were wondering, this will not be done by DH's release, not with other things in the stable. Thanks as usual to Lady Starlight for her work on this chapter without which, I am sure that the Astetropes, as Luna or Harriet would say, would have to eat your screen. As requested, at the end of the chapter there is a listing of whose kids are whose, so pay attention, it's only going up here :)

Chapter 25: Release
*************************Hogwarts************************************

December 11, 2015
3:20 pm

"Nathan," Anna gasped, and swatted at the offending hand that was slowly creeping up her thigh, pushing back the hem of her skirt. He just smirked and turned back to his studies, content in bothering her for a while. She sighed and looked across the Library table she was sharing with her niece and a few others.

Her eyes scanned across the table, and settled on a head of red hair, bent forward to minutely examine the small text in an old, leather-bound journal. Anna sighed and looked to Emilia, who was watching Harriet as well. Em just shook her head, and pointedly glanced to an empty seat around the table where her brother had been before leaving as Harriet arrived.

Anna watched as Harriet stood and walked back into the stacks, carrying a large tattered book to reshelve, "Have they even been in the room together in the last week?"

Emilia shrugged as she reached over to shake Xander awake, just as Madame Pince walked past, glaring at them for having the temerity to actually read the precious tomes contained in the vast library. "I don't think so," she replied thoughtfully, "maybe in passing, but that's about it." She shrugged, "Something happened, I don't know what, they won't say."

"Lock them in a room together?"

"Rain already suggested that and anyway...it's rather cliché, isn't it?" Emilia stood and started to stuff her books into her bag. "Let's go flying, Xander," she suggested and he nodded. She flicked her wand at her bag and Xander's, vanishing them to the dorms and took his hand, leading him out of the Library and away from what she had not been able to effect.

Nathan watched them leave and looked over to Anna, "Do you need anything at Hogsmeade this weekend? Do you have your shopping done?"

She shrugged, "I don't think so, why? And yeah, I do." She paused as Harriet carefully placed the notebook she had been perusing into her bag like it was a treasured artifact, and left. "Did you want to do something?"

He turned and looked around the area, finding no one else in this far back corner on a Friday afternoon, before he turned quickly and pulled her over into his lap. Anastasia let out a soft squeak as she landed, then closed her eyes, sighing softly as his hands started to stroke her leg, rather high up under her skirt. His fingers kept slipping upward, until they brushed the edge of her knickers, and she gasped, closing her eyes as a flicker of light filled them. "I thought we might want to stay in tomorrow, then. Maybe, I dunno, you can try on that Christmas present early," he breathed softly in her ear, before nipping at it and she jumped.

"And what incentive do I have for such an event?" she asked, squirming.

"I have a whole box of Honeydukes' best that I'll feed you one at a time..."

"Why not," she replied, smirking as she slid from his lap to stand next to him, "In fact," she reached down and pulled him to his feet, pressing against him, as she took a breath and her eyes sparkled softly, "I don't see why we need to leave our room until Monday." She flicked a wand, packing their books into the one bag they had brought and handing to Nathan. He shouldered it, and took her hand, letting her lead them towards the door. "Come along, Mr. Black, I think you and I have some, close, discussions to undertake."

"If you insist," he sighed theatrically.

***************************A-5, outside of London************************

8:35pm

Tonks yawned and leaned back in the passenger seat of the large, black SUV that she found herself riding in on a Friday night, away from her husband, who if she knew him, was probably settling in with a book in front of the fire. She sighed and looked over at the Auror driving, a rather young man with shaggy blonde hair that could not have been out of the academy for more than a couple of years.

You're getting old, Nymphadora, she thought, and turned back to the front and watched the taillights of the other Ministry Suburban as it pulled over into the passing lane and moved around a slower-moving hydrogen fuel truck. The day had started out nicely, with Remus surprising her with breakfast in bed for no more reason that he 'thought she looked hungry' as she slept next to him.

The teasing for being two hours late, that Harry and Hermione had nagged them with all day, had been well worth it in her opinion.

The day had gone downhill as Remus was called into an all-day session of the Wizengamot to answer, 'Why the government couldn't protect the citizenry against the resurgence in attacks by Dark Wizards?' Politicians, and a certain element of the citizenry, many of whom would be the first to protest any imagined overage by the Auror service, could not understand why they could not just 'magically' stop any actions of the darkness against their tender selves.

With Remus busy, and Harry and Hermione called to Dublin to look into a lead on the source of the werewolves in the attacks in September and October, Tonks had reluctantly decided to ride along with the prisoner transport.

She shrugged, and reached into a cargo pocket on her pants and pulled out her mirror, flipping it open, and touching 1 on the keypad. She waited as the mirror swirled, the colors dancing as the Secrecy Wards on each end aligned with each other, before they solidified into a perfect, tiny image of her husband. "Wotcher, Wolfie," she said brightly, and he rolled his eyes, having long since given up on any public decorum from her.

"How long do you think you'll be?" he asked instead. She watched as the background in the image moved, and settled as he dropped on their couch. It stopped moving as he placed his mirror on the coffee table.

She shrugged, and reached up to brush a lime-green shag out of her eyes, "I'm sorry, Remus, there wasn't anyone else senior available, and I thought you would be stuck there all night too."

"It's alright...I'll be here," he shrugged and took a sip of beer, "Do you want to go get the kids Christmas presents tomorrow?"

"Sure," Tonks replied, looking up, and straining to catch sight of the other SUV, the one with the Vampire prisoner that they had taken on her lawn on Halloween. "We could have gone tonight, but I didn't think a Floo or Portal was secure enough, and I'm not about to make one of these kids have to Side-Along her."

She frowned, and looked over to the driver, "Close on the transport, Greg," she ordered and he nodded, speeding up slightly and pulling into the other lane. Tonks nodded and looked back down at the mirror, "What do you want to get Xander this year?"

Remus shrugged, "I dunno, should we get him and Em something together?"

Tonks looked as if she was considering that, when a streak of blue shot in from the side and impacted the fuel truck just as they started to pass.

The world turned white, and Tonks let out an involuntary scream as the two-ton vehicle was picked up and tossed like a child's toy car, tumbling back through the air. Two Muggle cars passing by exploded, the white flashes of their hydrogen tanks reaching Tonks' eyes just as her vehicle hit the field alongside the highway and started tumbling and bounding, the emergency protective wards flaring.

"REMUS," she screamed, the mirror still open and showing his terrified face, "I..." her world went black as her head hit the windshield.

*************************Room of Requirement****************************

10:20 pm

A circle of alternating red, white, blue and black candles burned softly, casting a pool of yellow light in the center of an otherwise featureless room. In the exact center of the inscribed circle, an athletic girl sat staring at nothing through a fall of unbound, fire-red hair.

She was nude, her clothes folded neatly and sitting just outside the circle with her wand on top. She wrapped her arms around her chest, shivering slightly in the cool castle air, as the words of the woman who, even a week ago, she had thought could have become her grandmother, a woman who had died over thirty years prior, flitted through her head.

Harriet did not need the journal, which was sitting next to her clothes, watched over by Gaheris. He had given her a rather disproving look for a wolf, as she set the candles. She had read them often enough after all, over the last few weeks, to remember the words.

She took a breath as Lily's words filled her head, somehow in the voice of someone she had never met:

The Animagus transformation is at the same time, one of the complex and most dangerous self-induced spellforms to be undertaken by a witch or wizard. The transformation is, in effect a self-transfiguration, a permanent, selectively-triggerable ward that allows a magic-user to transform into an animal.

This series of spells and potions has been severely mischaracterized in the last century. It is said to be extremely complex, and nearly impossible for the average witch or wizard to perform successfully. However, this is only true to a degree. Yes, the spells are complex, but not beyond the means of an average NEWT-Level Transfiguration and Charms student. And while the Potions required are complex, it is the rarity of several ingredients more than the potions' construction that causes difficulties. The potions, after all, do follow the typical laws of such things, and once one realizes that their part in the transformation scheme is to provide the permanent biomodification for the self-Transfiguration to adhere to and act against, their properties can be derived. The discrepancy between the actual difficulty and the perceived difficulty, is, I believe, Ministry propaganda, to keep yet another form of control on the populace. The exact instructions are in this journal, however, so when Harry gets old enough, he won't have to sneak into the Forbidden Section every night for a year, at least for this. If he's like his father, he'll find other reasons.

The main difference, between the Self-Transfiguration into an animal, and the Animagus transformation, in the end, is that the participant does not have the option of choosing their form, moreover it is chosen for them by their deepest subconscious, some hidden layer where a more free self is kept. The animal may be typified by one's Patronus, but not always, as the Animagus does not change, while the Patronus may.

James is still laughing about my doe.

The true danger comes from the first appearance of the animal, when it may appear and refuse to let go, causing a fight between the conscious and unconscious mind that can literally destroy a magic user. The final transformation should never be attempted alone. This is especially true in the case where the animal is a predator, unfortunately...even a small one. Note, bright red Kneazles are remarkably stubborn.

Once the initial transformation is successful, some will start to experience 'bleedover', a merging of the animal and human forms, even as a human, where the senses and instincts of the animal are available and can overwhelm their own. This can be particularly embarrassing, though Padfoot always was a bit of a...dog.

Harriet choked slightly as she remembered one last section:

I did, however, charm this book a touch, where it can only be read by myself, James, or some other Potter down the line or their chosen. It does bring a smile to my face, I admit, the thought that one of my grandchildren would be using this to get back at the Ministry...

Harriet slowly unwrapped her arms and moved to kneel in the circle, looking one last time towards her Familiar, who seemed to not like this idea terribly much. Especially after she told him that he was her back up.

She closed her eyes and reached for her magic, sliding down into herself as images of a thousand places, and a million times hammered at her. She trembled slightly, wavering as the gift she never wanted nearly took her. Gaheris whimpered as she took a breath, Enclosium.

A shimmering ring of blue appeared, stretching from floor to ceiling, before it faded to near transparency. Harriet looked around quickly, her eyes quavering just a touch, as she touched invisible fingers to a lock that hid deep in her soul. She stroked it, feeling something shaking at the bars of the cage.

Gaheris looked through the shimmering field at her as he rose to his feet. He barked, a rather dog-like sound from a wolf, as magic streamed past him, collecting in his mistress.

Harriet touched the cage once more, took a breath, solvo penitus bestia...

She screamed, arching backwards as a sudden, tearing pain ripped from her core. The cage slammed open and a rush of fur and fangs filled her sight as she flopped forward onto her hands and knees. She shook as a thousand animals fought each other for dominance, each one, one that could be her, somewhere.

Sirius...she whimpered and fell over to her side as she felt her body changing...

Gaheris took one last look at her and sprinted from the room, a doggy door appearing just milliseconds before he reached the door.

Harriet felt tears spring to her eyes as her body fought the change, knowing it should not be this hard, and a tiny part of her brain that was still functioning, was already working though the differences in being a seer that was most likely causing it.

A thin trickle of blood slipped from one nostril as she curled into a tight ball, whimpering faintly. She took a shuddering breath, and her eyes snapped open to reveal vertical black pupils in her grey irises. Her hair seemed to move as a pair of rounded, furred ears stuck up through her hair, and a long, furred tail, with jagged black stripes over red fur, grew from her coccyx, to wrap around her body...

****************************Gryffindor Tower*****************************

"Xander, I'll see you tonight," Emilia said pointedly, laughing faintly as he gave her a mock disappointed look and kissed her, before leaving with Nathan and Justin, to Nathan's Common Room, where Nathan's ever-recalcitrant broom was resting on a rack, not working properly as usual.

Four years ago, when Nathan was begging for a broom, Ginny had decided that a bit of fiscal responsibility was in order for her children, and had, despite her husband's bemused comments, made the kids earn enough to purchase their own brooms. It was for this reason, that her oldest had, for the last three and a half years, spent almost as much time working on his broom as riding it.

Anna refused to ride it.

The broom, an actual, nineteen-ninety-eight Firebolt, had been one of several seized in a liquidation sale by Gringotts of a French Quidditch equipment chain that had gone out of business, mostly due to the ever increasing presence of WWE. The price had been a literal steal, less even than a slightly-used Cleansweep 2002, that he thought he was going to be stuck with.

The axiom was, as was with most such things, true.

Emilia smiled absently, and watched as the portrait closed behind Xander, noting in a tiny corner of her mind that she needed to get him new jeans, before she looked back at Rain across the expanse of a chessboard.

Rain sent her knight forward, it took two steps forward, and one to the side, and leapt straight up off the board, coming straight down behind Emilia's bishop.

The knight swung a tiny sword sideways and the bishop fell to its knees, only to have its head fall to the board on the return swing. Rain grinned, before looking back towards the main portrait hole, her smile slipping. "Have you seen Harriet in the last while?"

"No," Em admitted, "she slipped out about two, three hours ago, you don't think that..." She looked down as something tugged on the leg of her jeans, to find Gaheris looking up at her, with...panic in his canine eyes. She watched him pace towards the portrait hole and stopped halfway, looking back at them, coming halfway back again, and pacing back to the door.

"Something's wrong," Rain said, even as she and Emilia were following the wolf out the door, not even conscious of having left their seats. Gaheris took off at a near sprint, and they ran after, barely keeping him in sight as they ran along the length of the seventh floor corridor, until they slid to a halt next to the tapestry of Barnabas.

Emilia yanked open the door to the Room of Requirement, and sprinted in, sliding to a stop just inches from the spell barrier, which had gone nearly opaque. Her eyes lit as she instinctively thrust a hand forward, and she screamed, falling to her knees as the energy of the spell ripped through her like electricity going to ground.

The ward collapsed with a loud, terrible ripping sound, and a bright white light filled the room.

"EM," Rain snapped, as her vision cleared, to reveal the shattered remains of the candle circle, and lying on its side, a small, red and black...tiger.

Emilia dropped to her hands and knees, took a breath and SHIFTED. The black lioness padded forward warily, not glancing over to find the blue-black puma that she knew was to her right. Emilia bent low, and sniffed at the unconscious cat, and looked over to Rain, finding the startling blue eyes in the black fur, as startling as the green ones against her own night black fur. She nodded, and lay down next to the great cat, purring slightly as she rested her head on its neck.

Rain dropped on the other side, and both of them crowded in, paws draped over the red and black newcomer.

Slowly, after a great number of minutes, the tiger opened her eyes, and looked at Em, the grey eyes ones that had never existed in a mundane tiger...of course most tigers were not red and black and most lions, not jet black, either.

Emilia nuzzled her neck and stood, pacing back a step and sitting back on her haunches. She changed in the next instant, her black fur sliding up, and seeming to fade back into her skin as the hair on her head lengthened. Limbs shortened and realigned as her spine shortened, becoming upright. She sat, looking at Harriet for a moment longer, still partially a cat, with a long, black tail sticking out from the top of her loose jeans, pushing them down her bum, and a pair of tufted, cats' ears sticking out from her hair.

Cat-pupiled green eyes slowly blinked and she returned to normal, the tail retreating into her spine, and her ears dropping and changing back to merely human. She reached back and pulled up her jeans, and glanced over to Rain, who was still in her neko form. "I can't do the half thing in jeans," Emilia half complained, and Rain shrugged, and fully transformed back, fixing her own clothes as well.

"I have a slit cut in some of mine," Rain replied, shrugging, "or skirts."

Emilia leaned forward and petted Harriet's side, "Transform back, sis...its all you have to do."

Harriet looked at her, and then Rain, and her feline features scrunched up, and her fur rippled. A long, long, timeless minute passed, and then, all at once, the fur retreated around her body, adsorbed back into her skin, like some film being shown in reverse. Her limbs shortened and changed, as her spine shortened, moving her limbs back upright. Her snort slipped back, retreating into her face, and she paused, panting slightly, almost purely human save for the long red and black striped tail and the rounded ears sticking up through her hair.

Emilia smiled at her, and kissed her cheek, "You are doing great, just finish it now, love, and it'll be cake from now on."

Harriet nodded and closed her eyes, and the tail seemed to race back into her body, the ears took a few seconds longer as if they really wanted to stay before they too retreated beneath her hair.

Emilia stroked her hair behind a purely human ear, as her 'sister' lay panting, and shivering. She sat back as Rain conjured a blanket and draped it over Harriet's body, covering her; before they both dropped back down to hold her between them. "You alright, sis?" Emilia asked after several minutes and Harriet nodded. "You did it...you know...now we just need to get you transforming with your clothes and gear and were all set."

"You aren't...mad at me?" Harriet murmured, her voice wavering slightly.

"No, though I wish you had let Rain and I know. You alright now?"

Harriet nodded and the other two girls sat up, scooting back as Harriet rose to her hands and knees, and SHIFTED, her body flowing effortlessly into the tiger, like water from a pitcher. She paced around Emilia and licked her face, and Em laughed, before Harriet transformed back, to sit between them again, seemingly not caring about, or more likely, not noticing her nudity.

"What happened?"

"I dunno," Harriet replied bringing her knees up in front of her and wrapping her arms around them. She rested her chin on them, and looked over at Em with her eyes, "From what your Grandmum said, the vision of the animal should flow over me...I expected a bit of a tussle at first...but then I saw hundreds of different animals...all wanting to be...me. I guess it's my...curse again," she added, slightly bitterly.

"We'll need to start working in your form in training...probably need Sirius' help with that, he's actually better at fighting in his animal form than me-"

"Can't you help?" Harriet asked, in a voice of almost panic. "Please, Em."

Emilia sighed and stood, pacing quickly over to a wall that changed even as she moved, to a replica of the tower common room. She looked out a window as Harriet noticed she was naked, or got cold, and started to dress. "Harriet...even if you and he don't end up married and with sprogs, you are going to have to work this out. I don't know if you did something or he did, or what," her frustration filled her voice, "but you really need to try to fix it. He l...cares a lot for you, no matter what has happened."

"I know," Harriet replied in a small, small voice. She finished pulling on her jumper and toed into sandals, before vanishing the remains of the candles. She bent from the waist and picked the journal up off the floor, and extended it towards Em. "You might want this back, it is your Grandmum's."

"Give it back to Sirius," Emilia replied, turning back from the window, "he normally keeps it." Harriet frowned, but pulled the book back, cradling it against her chest like it was a child. "Let's go to bed before we have to explain to Smythe what we were up to." She held the door for the other two and a noticeably happier wolf as they trooped out into the corridor, and headed off on the long path to home.

***************************Outside of London*****************************

11:10pm

Spears of blue strobe lights lit the moonless night from at least a dozen Muggle police vehicles, along with the beams of a pair of slowly floating gunships as they minutely examined the ground around the wreckage of the fuel truck. A low fire still burned in the wreckage, the parts of the vehicle finishing consuming themselves after the explosive fuel was long gone.

Near the wreckage of the prisoner transport, Harry rose from a knee, brushed off the legs of his jeans and headed over through the night towards a grouping of people standing around the back of a white ambulance. He looked over to his right, causing the flickering light from the fires to dance off the lenses of his glasses, and back to the others.

He passed through a cordon of armed Muggle patrollers, flashing his black Aurors' badge, it appeared to them as a MI-6 ID. He stopped next to Hermione; she gave him a pained smile, and turned back to the occupant of the back of the ambulance.

"You know that we can't let you go anywhere, Tonks?" Harry asked, shaking his head ruefully as he bent over her, pushing aside her limp, still green hair to examine the bandage over her forehead. Her arm and leg were splinted, and her ribs were wrapped under the blanket she was covered to up to her chin. He touched her forehead again, "Are you trying to be me? It's a touch late for Halloween, you know."

"You are truly a funny wanker, you know," she growled and coughed. She looked up at Remus as he bent down from his seat on the bench next to her, and kissed her forehead, before sitting back up, continuing to hold her good hand. "Oh, don't you get all worried, this is all physical, I'll be fine as soon as we get out of her and I can morph a touch. Now did you get anything, I'm afraid that I was a touch out of it."

Harry shrugged and dropped to the bumper of the ambulance, the medics that would have normally been in the back with them having been sent away for security reasons, by the other Agent Potter of MI-6. He waved over at the wreckage, "Calvin O'Malley is up from Crendenhill, he says hi to your Dad, Mione."

"I think Dad and Mum were going to the Regiment reunion in Herdford next month, I'll let him know...So what did he have to say."

"He's a Squib, so he knows us from both sides, he said to tell Em and Xander congrats by the way, so he's covering....but what we found, it was a set up." Hermione crooked an eyebrow, and Harry shrugged, "Seems that no one was killed," her eyes widened, "Yeah, interesting isn't it, the fuel truck was an automated one, and both of the Muggle vehicles in the blast zone were just outside of the lethal zone with the newest safety gear in them. The truck was hit with a Reductor, though it looks close enough to a Plasma rifle strike that Calvin is going to put it in his report as terrorism."

"It is."

"Yeah, but not like they are used to. Don't know if that explanation will pass muster for long...since the only toys out there are in the hands of the American main-line forces or the Commonwealth's, every one else still doesn't have them."

"That's awfully professional, and courteous for Death Eaters," Remus put in thoughtfully.

"Isn't it?" Harry replied, "The truck was hit to cut you off, and one of our Runaway Grabbers was used to stop the lead car. The Aurors were disoriented by the sudden stop then all three were stunned, before they could act. Pulled the prisoner, and they are gone."

"Why go to all this trouble to get their vamp back and then take even more care to leave our agents alive, not that I'm complaining, mind you," Hermione said, "Honestly, it doesn't make any sense..."

"Unless they are trying to," cough, "tell us something," Tonks replied painfully.

Harry nodded, and stood, taking Hermione's hand as she stepped out of the ambulance. He motioned the medics closer; "They'll take you to the usual cover hospital, you going with her, Remus?"

"Yeah."

Two minutes later, Harry watched as the ambulance pulled out, its lights flashing, before he opened the door of Hermione's BMW, and closed it after she slid behind the wheel. He moved around to the passenger side and slid in, leaning back as she pulled out, flashing his identification to the pair of patrollers standing guard, before she rapidly drove off into the night.

Hermione waited until the reached a stretch of empty road, and touched a pair of unlabeled knobs under the in-dash MP3 player. Out the window, the hood of the car shimmered and vanished, before the car sped up abruptly and leapt into the air. The ride, already smooth, became glass-like as the car literally drove on air. Hermione set the "cruise control" and leaned her seat back slightly before looking over at Harry. "You know that no one outside of the Auror service, and my parents, even knew that we had her, or and an even smaller group knew that we were transferring her to the Non-Human holding facility in Leeds."

"The thought had crossed my mind," Harry replied darkly, "Let's just get home, Hermione, I think that Tonks will have some work to do when she heals herself."

A/N: There you go. Next chapter, Walls Fall...that's all I'm saying, they fall...

Ok for all of those of you who were wanting an outline of whose kid is whose, who they are dating (shagging) and some other stuff here it is. And note, I don't normally do this and these aren't in any particular order, dates are in American standard, cause I'm too lazy to translate:

Name DOB Parents Dating/Spouse/Bonded

Good Guys

Emilia Luna Potter 5/23/1999 Harry and Hermione Xander Lupin

Sirius Ronald Potter 4/8/2000 Harry and Hermione Harriet Weasley

Harriet Molly Weasley 3/15/1999 Ron and Luna Sirius Potter

Anastasia Lillian Granger 5/23/1998 Roger and Jane Granger Nathan Black

Xander James Lupin 3/27/1999 Remus and Tonks Emilia Potter

Abigail Annette Lupin 2/17/2001 Remus and Tonks Elliot Longbottom

Elliot Neville Longbottom 7/25/1999 Neville and Parvati Abigail Lupin

Nathan Augustus Black 12/31/1999 Draco and Ginny Anna Granger

Justin Julius Black 2/1/2000 Draco and Ginny Rain Kincaid

Rain Mai Kincaid 8/2/1999 Malcolm and Dyani Kincaid Justin Black

Shin Anabelle Finnegan 2/28/2001 Seamus and Padma Free agent at this time

Lawrence Weasley 2/15/2000 Fred and Angelina Aiko Inoue

Virginia Anne Weasley 2/15/2000 Fred and Angelina Kristina Spurr

Andrew Weasley 7/1/1998 Bill and Fleur Free agent at this time

Robert Charles Weasley 8/12/1999 George and Alicia Free agent at this time

Michael Kincaid Malcom and Dyani Free agent at this time

Daniel Kirkpatrick Chastity Turner

Kristina Spurr Virginia Weasley

Enemies/Rivals

Naomi Jamillia 2/15/1999 Wants Sirius

Antares Parker 3/1/1999 Antony and Clariese Marisah Hamilton

Maraisah Hamilton 4/27/1999 Xavier and Elizabeth Antares Parker

Banner Bancroft 1/2/1999 Oliver and Pusha Are you kidding?

Lucas Plessy 7/13/1999 Timothy and Maltilda Nope

That's all I'm revealing at the moment, some don't have parents listed or DOB's sorry. There are additional kids, that will show up eventually, but for now, that's most of the ones with speaking parts.

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27. Chapter 26: Walls Fall

A/N: Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls...House Elves of all ages....let's be about it. Thanks as usual to Lady Starlight for her work in this chapter. Umm...the title of the chapter should tell you something. By the way, the recommended song for this chapter is: Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol.
Chapter 26: Walls Fall

************************Gryffindor Tower*********************************
December 19, 2015
6:45 pm

Emilia sighed as she looked over to watch Harriet staring out the half-frosted window, slowly brushing the same spot on Gaheris' fur over and over again. The large canine Familiar looked over at Emilia beseechingly and Em sighed, getting up from where she was getting ready, still in sweats, but with her hair done and the little makeup that she was actually wearing applied.

"You need to get ready," Em announced, perching on the edge of the bed next to her.

Harriet shrugged, and looked back down at Gaheris, shifting her attentions to his tail, which he tolerated, barely, and started brushing. A minute passed in silence, except for a faint yelp as she pulled on a burr in his fur, before she looked up, still feeling Emilia's and, across the room, Rain's eyes on her. "I'm not going."

Emilia sighed, and pinched the bridge of her nose, before she looked back up, "Yeah, you are." Harriet looked up rebelliously, and Emilia shook her head, her eyes hardening, "I don't care if you just sit there on the side, you are going...maybe my dumbarse brother will see you and get a clue, or maybe you will just fill up on Christmas treats, I don't care, but you are going." Harriet sighed but nodded, dropping the brush on the bed, and standing.

She grabbed a towel and her toiletries and left, headed for the showers without another word.

Rain snorted and walked over, dropping on the bed, and flopping back. "Do you think it will work?"

Emilia shrugged, "I saw her in her dress the other day...unless my brother has decided to start seeking for the other team, he'll notice...Now, will it be enough of a Bludger to the head, fuck all knows." Emilia stood and pulled off her sweatshirt as she gestured to her armoire, catching her dress as it floated over to her. She slipped out of the sweatpants, tossed them randomly aside and stepped into her dress, gesturing at the back to lace itself up.

Rain stood and walked over to Em's bed, and bent down under it, "Do you know where the hell my shoes are?"

"I think they are in Harriet's trunk," Emilia replied, "Toss me my leg sheath," she added and caught the battered bit of black dragonhide. She pulled aside her skirt, reaching in though the slit up one leg and buckled the twin straps holding the sheath to her thigh. She caught her wand as it floated over to her, and slid it into its sheath. "If it does take much longer though," she went on, as if she had not been distracted from the conversation, "I think I am going to lock them in a room."

"There's always Christmas," Rain put in.

"Yeah, there is."

An hour later, Emilia grinned as she slipped in the main doors of the Great Hall, all thoughts of others' predicaments temporarily set aside. She looked up at Xander and smiled, before taking his hand and slipping between the small round tables that had replaced the house tables.

She looked up and waved at Rain, where the other teen was sitting at a white, linen-covered table with Justin, set to one side near the front of the Great Hall, conveniently near the area cleared for dancing later. She stood back as Xander as he pulled out her chair, and helped her to her seat. The fact that she was more than capable of taking care of such things for herself, and was far from an invalid in her dress, was lost to the magic of the night. He scooted her in and kissed the top of her head, before sitting next to her.

Emilia dropped her head to his shoulder for an instant, before straightening and picking up the menu.

"Where's Harriet?" Rain asked, pausing to share a knowing look with Emilia as Virginia and Kris slipped past, their hands tight in each other's and occasionally looking nervously around. Rain waved at them to receive slightly timid smiles in return before the pair sat down at a table two down from them where Lawrence and his date, Aiko Inoue, were already leaning together. The small, black-haired girl laughed at something Lawrence said then leaned across to greet the newcomers. "I see that Aiko gave in," she added, fighting a laugh.

"I think he was trying too hard," Emilia replied thoughtfully. She looked around the hall, to find Harriet slowly walking around the periphery, "She's over there."

"Should we..."

Xander sighed and looked to the rafters, from which a light snow was falling, vanishing just before it reached their heads. He looked at Em, and then over at Rain, and shared a quick, almost exasperated glance with Justin. "Leave them alone tonight."

"But," Emilia objected.

Xander half turned, taking her hands in his, "Sirius might as well be my brother-in-law, but you have to let them settle this themselves, Em, at least for tonight...If it's meant to be it will, if not, you will have all Christmas without distractions," he smirked, "at least during the day...If they haven't by then you can work on them, but don't let it distract you tonight, alright?"

She gnawed on her lower lip for a moment, before nodding and leaning forward to kiss him. "Alright, it's all us tonight, baby."

Across the room Harriet paused next to a large, twelve-foot fir tree and silently watched the lights twinkle and dance around it. Her preoccupied gaze did not notice the pair of emerald eyes focused on her from across the room, as Sirius sat down with Lawrence, Aiko, Kris and Virginia, and picked up his menu, only as an excuse to look over it at her, his appetite was rather lacking these days.

Harriet smiled faintly as one of the fairies slipped from the tree and flitted around her head, showering her with golden sparkles of light. She cocked her head, examining a sprig of Mistletoe hung near the tree, her eyes seeming to focus on something that was not quite here.

The soft fall of a high-heeled foot did not register; therefore, as a brunette in a short, black gown slipped up behind her and tapped her on the shoulder. Harriet turned slowly, to find Naomi smirking at her, "I see that he came to his senses, didn't even bother to pretend to want to go with you did he?"

Harriet did not speak, as Naomi laughed, and took a half step closer, "I don't suppose it matters really, you were just a bit of a distraction for him anyway, he's gotten past you now." She reached over and patted Harriet on the cheek, "I'll just go and claim him now, with as much power as his family has, I'm sure he will be great fun...later." She leered at Harriet and spun on her heel, sauntering slowly across the room.

Harriet bit her lip and looked over at Sirius, just as he looked down at his menu. A faint sniff came from her, before she turned, and headed to the door, just as silver tracks started to wind their way down her cheeks. She escaped through the open doors of the Great Hall at a near run, nearly knocking down Flitwick who was stepping through at that very moment.

It was a measure of the depth that Emilia had taken Xander's words to heart, her attention focused on him alone, that she did not notice as her brother stood from his table, his eyes flickering, and slipped after Harriet, dodging around tables, Familiars and students on his single-minded path towards the door.

He spun around Shin and Abigail, the latter leaning against Elliot, his eyes still fixedly on the door that Harriet had left, and found himself face to face with Naomi. She smiled at him, leaning forward enough to emphasize her cut of her gown. He did not even spare a glance for her décolletage and she frowned faintly.

"Siri..." she murmured, just loud enough to be heard over the murmur of conversation, and music, "where are you going?" She reached for his hand, "Let's go sit and...talk."

His hand escaped her grasp, though he did not seem to move. "Excuse me," started to move around her only to be blocked as she shifted, moving back into his path.

She followed his eyes, "Don't tell me you are going after her," she smirked, reaching for his cheek, "Stay...In fact, I know a place, where..."

"I need to..."

"I can be so much more fun, than her," she patted his arm possessively, "stay."

Sirius shook his head and took a step to his left, only to be cut off again. He growled and a faintly visible pulse of magic tossed Naomi to her bum.

She looked up at him, as he started around her, wide-eyed in shock, "She's just another Weasley, not worth the time..."

He stopped in mid stride, and looked to her, his eyes fully lit and hooded, "Never, ever, bother her again, Naomi, ever..." she swallowed heavily, as he stalked off quickly, headed for the door.

Standing shakily, she glanced around, looking to see if anyone had seen the encounter before she let a smile fall back onto her lips and headed over to talk to Aidan Brennan, the seventh-year Seeker for Ravenclaw, who had just broken up with his girlfriend.

Sirius reached the hallway outside of the Great Hall, and frantically looked for Harriet in amongst the various students coming and going from the Great Hall. He sighed heavily as he did not find her, and leaned back against the wall of the corridor heavily. He waited a moment, and half-sprinted for the Great Stairs, taking the marble treads two at a time, to reach a spot where he could summon the map discretely.

******************************Hogwarts**********************************
December 19, 2015. (Saturday)
8:25pm

A heavy blanket of snow covered the ground, with a half-full, shimmering moon, lighting the grounds with a slivery sheen. Across the nearly virgin snowfall, a pair of tracks, one from two legs, one from four, tracked towards the edge of the frozen-over lake. Far above, tiny, twinkling lights from innumerable stars, Muggle aircraft, and the running lights of one of the American Defense platforms in low orbit competed with the moon to light the night.

A small square of golden light appeared inset in the great doors to the keep, and a black-cloaked figure slipped out into the winter night, the sounds of music and revelry escaping as well. He paused as his breath threw up clouds of steam, and looked down at the tracks leading off from the keep, gathered his cloak around his shoulders and took off, following them with a swift, purposeful stride, the snow seeming having no impediment on his progress.

He reached the side of the lake several moments later, stopping as a pair of ice-blue eyes, seemingly possessing of an inner light looked at him from the top of a flat rock that had been cleared of snow. The eyes turned away as the white wolf tucked his head back against a white-cloaked form. A small hand emerged from the end of a fur-trimmed sleeve and ran through his fur. The girl, for even with the cloak it was obvious what she was, sighed and leaned forward. She shook her head and her hood fell back, revealing a head of bright red hair, like a ball of flame against her white cloak. "Sirius," she said absently, as just her eyes cut to the side, looking at him.

Her eyes tracked him without moving her head as he walked around the other side of the rock and slid up to sit next to her.

She reached out as he sat and slowly reached for his hand; then froze, stopping as she realized what her traitorous hand was trying to do. The hand shot back inside the cloak, just as Sirius' eyes cut down and to the side.

He frowned, biting his lip and not commenting on her actions.

They sat for several silent minutes.

"I'm sorry."

Harriet cocked her head like a bird and turned to look at him, "For what?" she asked, her voice oddly soft.

Sirius shrugged, "For making you mad...whatever I did...I didn't mean it, honestly, I'm really sorry..." he swallowed, his voice fading to silence as he looked down at his hands.

Harriet frowned as she turned on the rock, and swallowed heavily, before she slowly reached out and grabbed his right hand with hers. She intertwined her fingers with his, before she looked up to find his eyes on hers.

She gasped quietly as a spike of something shot through her as his thumb started to slowly run over the back of her hand. Harriet came up on her knees, moving closer to him, until she was sitting only a foot from him. Gaheris looked up at his mistress, then at Sirius and seemed to roll his eyes, before leaping down unnoticed and pacing off towards the warm castle and Christmas snacks, just waiting to be pilfered. "I'm not mad at you, Sirius," she said, the words a mere susurration.

"You're going to ruin your dress," Sirius whispered, as he glanced down at the red silk that the open front of her cloak had revealed. She looked down, and then back up.

Harriet shrugged as she smiled slightly, "I'm a witch; I'll be fine." She took a breath, and a bare, brief smirk crossed her lips as she watched him glance down. He flushed red in the moonlight, and she reached up with her free hand and cupped his cheek. Soft grey eyes held his as she leaned forward, until their noses were almost touching. She glanced up at a sprig of mistletoe, somehow hanging on the branch above.

Harriet slipped forward, as her head cocked slightly to the side. She paused as Sirius looked up, "What about the Nargles?" he asked very softly, as the steam from his breath passed up between them, clouding his glasses.

Harriet slowly plucked his glasses from his face with her left hand, her right having never left his, and set them on the rock next to them, "Sod the Nargles," she breathed and leaned forward. Harriet gasped softly as she kissed him, feeling herself falling forward without moving, as her heart beat a riotous tempo against her ribs. They both pulled back panting, though the kiss had never been anything but chaste, and looked at each other, stunned. For just a second, brains had received signals from two bodies, and magic wove together, dancing along nerves like fire.

Harriet licked her lips, and let go of his hand as her fingers slipped up to tangle in the small hairs at the back of his neck, and kissed him again, this time her tongue slipped out to run along his lips. They opened and she groaned as the kiss deepened. She distantly felt his hands sliding inside her cloak, to gather at the small of her back, pulling her fully against him.

Sirius pulled back slightly and blinked away the flickers of emerald fire pooling in his eyes. Several branches and bits of refuse that had been floating at head height, unnoticed, floated back down to settle on the ground. "Harriet would you like-"

"Yes, I already was, silly, we just hadn't done anything about it," Harriet finished for him; she smiled slowly as she idly sifted her fingers through his hair. She looked up and leisurely brushed dark fringe from his eyes, before she kissed him again, smirking as he tried to keep contact. A soft, almost purr came from her lips, as his fingertips moved up her back under her cloak, incredibly warm through the silk of her dress.

"I was an idiot," Sirius whispered.

"Yes, you were," she replied quietly, "but you are my idiot. For now, and forever," she added very softly. Sirius just nodded, and kissed her. She grinned, "But now...I want to go back to the ball." Harriet slowly slid to the ground next to the rock, and waited as Sirius climbed down next to her. She took his hand, and slowly they retraced the frozen path back to the castle.

The small, inset door in the great, main doors opened of its own free will, and the pair, still holding hands, and with barely room for air to pass between them, let alone light, stepped through into the atrium, and stopped to look around for a beat. Several other students, both groups and couples were scattered about, talking, snogging and in the case of one seventh year couple near the top of the stairs, arguing with a fervor that would have done Sirius' mother and Harriet's father proud.

Harriet pulled Sirius along to a large, golden statue of a phoenix sitting in the center of the atrium. She let go of his hand and knelt in front of it, slowly running her fingers along a pair of names inscribed near the top of a bronze plaque. Harriet's breath hitched slightly, as she knelt there, stiffening for an instant as Sirius knelt behind her and wrapped his arms around her. She let her head flop back onto his shoulder.

"They are coming back, Harriet," Sirius whispered in her ear.

She nodded and pushed herself back to her feet. "Shall we, my Lord Potter?" Harriet asked, turning to face him.

Sirius watched as the cloak slowly slid from her shoulders, leaving them bare and revealing the long, floor-length red silk gown, a shade or two brighter than her hair. His eyes seemed to have a mind of their own as they tracked down from the high collar, down over the moderate swell of her chest to her legs, which were visible in flashes through hip-high slits in the fabric as she nervously twitched in place.

"Merlin, you're beautiful," Sirius whispered. A shy smile bloomed on her face as she reached forward and up, straightening the tie of his dress robes. "Thank you," he mouthed and she shrugged. Without a word, at least not consciously, they took a right and headed towards the Great Hall, pausing at the door to hand off Sirius' winter cloak to the elf in Hogwarts' livery that was manning the cloakroom door. "Ready?" Sirius asked as Harriet paused at the open door and looked in on the full room.

A soft, magical snow tumbled down from the rafters, stopping just above the heads of the tallest party-goers. Twelve, twenty-foot, snow-encrusted firs were set around the room, each fully lit with innumerable twinkling fairy lights. Dozens of small, round tables set with snow-white linen had replaced the long house tables, though only about a third were actually occupied with students or guests.

Harriet looked forward to the dance floor, where various couples were dancing, and she grinned, her eyes twinkling merrily, "Come on, I want to dance..." Sirius did not complain much as she pulled him past tables and students towards the front.

A tall girl with night-black, ruler-straight mid-back-length hair and shocking crystal blue eyes looked up as they passed and her eyes widened slightly. She stood rapidly from her perch on Justin Black's knee, gave her date a kiss on the cheek and whispered, "Be back." He nodded, long, blonde hair flopping in his eyes. She kissed him on the top of his head again, and started off at a vector to Harriet and Sirius' course.

She stepped around several tables, passing a group of third year girls who seemingly were more focused on the older sixth and seventh year boys, than on their own dates. She stepped over someone's kneazle, which had a purloined Christmas cracker in its mouth. She stepped around the last of the tables and headed towards a dimly lit alcove.

She paused for a moment, her hands on her hips as she looked at the pair standing there. Emilia's forest dress was several shades darker than her eyes, it left her shoulders bare, and like Harriet's, a long slit up one leg, provided freedom of movement and access to the wand no doubt hidden underneath. Just like Rain's own was, after all. Emilia was molded to Xander's front, his fingers playing with the locks of her hair that had been left free of the high tail most of her hair was pulled back into. Rain coughed slightly as Emilia leaned up, her knee slipping out of the slit in the side of her dress as she slipped it between Xander's legs.

"Sod off, Rain," Emilia said quietly, not turning to meet her friend's smirking face.

"Don't you have Justin to snog, or shag or something?" Xander added, resting his head on Emilia's shoulder. She sniggered, which grew to outright laughter as Rain replied with a single-fingered salute, as she caught sight of the gesture through Xander's eyes.

"I am staying at the Manor, for Christmas," Rain replied airily, pretending to buff her nails on the front of her dress, "I'm sure that we might get up to something." She darted forward and grabbed Emilia's hand and pulled her away from Xander. He shouted an objection, but the two girls were already halfway across the floor of the Great Hall.

"Rain, I love you like a sister," Emilia growled just loud enough for her to hear over the music and conversation filling the room, "a really annoying, taller sister, but one nonetheless...but saying that, we were about to head upstairs."

Rain pulled them to a stop at the edge of the dance floor, "There."

Emilia glanced towards the dance floor at the various couples dancing to a cover of Magic Works. She sighed, "I've seen Dumbledore and McGonagall dance before, Rain."

Rain pulled slightly on her elbow, and pointed her just past Dumbledore and McGonagall as they waltzed to a song that did not require a waltz. Dumbledore moved, and Emilia let out a soft, happy noise, as she watched Harriet swaying slowly in her brother's arms, her cheek resting on his shoulder. Emilia shared a small grin with Rain and bent at the waist, reaching through under her skirt and pulling her wand from an invisible holster. She flicked it through the air, drawing a small rectangle, and a camera appeared with a POP.

"What's that for?" Rain asked as Emilia slid her wand behind one ear, and lifted the camera to her eye. She clicked several pictures, before holding the camera flat in her hand. It vanished with another POP, and she turned to Rain, grinning.

Emilia pulled her wand from behind her ear and slid it back into its concealed sheath; she gave a small glare to a Hufflepuff sixth year, Eddie Thomas, who seemed abnormally fascinated with the expanse of her bare leg. She straightened up and leaned back automatically as she felt Xander slide in behind her, she smirked for a moment as he nuzzled her neck, a display of affection that depending on a Professor's mood, might get commented on. "I'll either give it to them as a present...or as blackmail...maybe both," Emilia replied, snuggling back against her betrothed.

****************************Godric's Hollow******************************

December 19, 2015

"How did we get out of the Ministry's ball this year?" Hermione murmured, settling back against Harry with a small sigh. She chuckled slightly as he shrugged and nuzzled her neck. A fire blazed in the fireplace, casting shadows on the walls, and filling the room with a soft yellow glow. A bare, unadorned fir tree sat in the corner of the room, waiting for the decorations that would surely decorate it, come tomorrow night.

Why, did you want to go? Harry replied, smirking slightly as he pulled a blanket up over their laps. His hands slipped back below the blanket and started to run up and down the outside of her bare leg. You have a cold.

I do? Hermione replied, amused.

Yeah, don't you feel a tad under the weather?

I do have a touch of a chill, Hermione replied, laughing, Care to try to warm me up? She squirmed slightly as he reached up, pushing up the too large jumper of Harry's she had slipped on after they had returned from the Ministry, and started to run his fingers along her belly. She leaned back, resting her head on his shoulder, turning enough to gain a quick kiss. How did Remus and Tonks get out of this one?

I think Remus said they had to paint the house or something, Harry whispered and Hermione laughed out loud at the absurdity of that excuse. Are you ready for the influx tomorrow? How many are showing up for Christmas?

Hell if I know, Hermione shrugged, she marked her page in the book she was perusing, I think Em said Rain was going to the Manor, so she won't be here like usual, but we have our own...and their significant others, and my parents and Anna if she doesn't go to Ginny's too, and probably Nathan if she's here...A couple of dozen Familiars, and a partridge in a pear tree....

So I should send Dobby to the butcher in the morning, you're saying, Harry replied reaching over to the side, to grab a glass of a dark red wine. He took a sip, and rolled his eyes as Hermione stole it from him. He did not comment as she sent it floating back to the coffee table with a wave of her hand. We have everything this year, right? I'm not going to have to go shopping in Diagon Alley again on Christmas Eve?

Hermione nodded, and leaned back, letting her eyes slip closed. Did we ever eat dinner? she muttered, then turned her head, looking back at him, Oh, that's right...we never made it back down from the bedroom after we got back, did we?

Harry pushed at her, Come on, then, I'll fix us something. He froze for a brief instant as he watched Hermione stand, watching the long jumper she had on fall down to half way down her legs. She rolled her eyes and waved a hand in front of his face before grabbing his hand and pulling him to his feet.

She followed him into the kitchen, and jumped up to sit on the counter, watching as he opened the coldbox and started rummaging. "So what do you want?" Harry asked with his head in the coldbox.

"It's up to you," Hermione replied, catching automatically the pair of butterbeers Harry tossed backwards over his shoulder in her direction. They both curved in flight, right to her hands, she set them down next to her, "I cook so my family doesn't starve; you're the gourmand."

"So why did I marry you?" Harry asked with a smirk as he stood from the coldbox. Behind him, a silver pot lifted from a rack and floated over to the sink, where it gained a load of water and continued on its course to land with a soft rattle on the stovetop where the burner was already lit below it. He opened the freezer side of the box and pulled out a freezer bag of frozen, red sauce, and flicked his fingers over it. He watched as it melted in instants, seemingly like watching a tape on fast forward, before pouring the now melted sauce in a pan and flicking the bag up in the air where it vanished with a pop.

He glanced back at Hermione who laughed, and leaned back on her hands. She crooked a single eyebrow as she crossed her legs, baring even more of her thigh and sniggered as he almost dropped the chicken he had found, already cooked, in the fridge, to the floor. She laughed outright as he turned his back on her, and quite slowly, as if he were not quite in control of his motions set the poultry, left over from one of Dobby's slightly excessive 'lunches', down on the counter. He looked over as the sauce began to simmer, and nodded. Eyes flickered, and a web of silver jets seemed to snap from his fingertips, cutting the chicken into small cubes. "Are you sure you don't remember, Harry," she murmured, knowing full well that he could quite probably hear her on the opposite side of the planet.

The chicken floated into the sauce and a wooden spoon lifted from a bin of such utensils, and started to stir the mixture. "I dunno," Harry's lips held an small, half-smile, as he turned from the stove where their quick meal was rapidly fixing itself, helped along by Harry's already prepared marinara sauce. "If I remember correctly," he slipped across the two or three steps from the stove to the counter, and uncrossed her legs, to stand between her knees, "It had something to with this rather odd pastime all the blokes in my dorm used to rave about..." He reached up, and slowly wrapped a loose curl around his finger, "Seems you need a really pretty girl..."

"Do you now?" Hermione whispered, looking back into his eyes over the top of his slipped-down glasses. "And what do you do with this girl?" she asked, glancing down at her fingers as they twisted in the belt loops of the loose jeans that threatened to fall off him, "Once you've gotten her, that is?"

"Well see, that's the rub," Harry murmured, leaning forward to nuzzle her neck enough to elicit a soft sigh. "There was never really a...consensus reached," Harry paused as warm fingers slipped up under the hem of his jumper, "on...um...what one should really do, in that particular situation, to get to the desired endpoint." He glanced back at the pot, and the spoon dipped a small bit of sauce up, before floating over. Hermione took a taste and nodded, before he sent the spoon back on his way. "It seems that my esteemed colleagues never could quite agree on the proper...technique, one should apply in that situation."

"They didn't huh?" Hermione asked, leaning forward to catch his lips for a second. She rolled back slightly, letting her forehead remain in light contact with his. She moved just her eyes, and the pasta lifted itself from the water, gave itself a shake and floated over to a warm bowl waiting for it. Harry reached back with a pair of fingers, and the saucepan slid off the flames and both burners went out.

"No," Harry agreed, "There was pretty much unanimous agreement on the desired outcome...Seamus thought that the consumption of great amounts of alcohol, was often a necessary intermediate...I remember Padma disabusing him of that notion seventh year," he added as an afterthought. "Neville...well he never really said much, he just let his actions speak for themselves, and they did." Hermione gave him a small smile, and kissed his nose.

"What about Dean and Ron?"

"Well," Harry said, then paused as Crookshanks jumped up on the counter and started to sneak towards the food. A few droplets of water shot from the faucet, hitting him on the nose and he retreated, only to stop and glare at them from the door of the kitchen. "Dean used to "invite them to model"..."

"Oh that's what that was?" Hermione asked softly with sudden understanding as images of her seventh year and finding Dean in an abandoned classroom, with a sketch pad, and a half-nude Gryffindor sixth year.

"Yeah."

"And Ron?"

"Well Ron was of various minds, he tried the 'let's argue over everything' technique...that didn't get him too far," Harry added philosophically, ignoring Hermione's mouthed, "That's an understatement". Harry leaned forward, at the same time he pulled her closer to him, scooting her bum to the very edge of the counter, "He also tried the 'snog until you passed out' route, but that seemed rather shallow in the end, even for him, he ended up going with the more...eccentric."

"And what did you finally decide on, Harry?" Hermione slowly traced her hands around his back and started to trace faint scars there with the pads of her fingers, not having to actually see them to know the exact position of every line.

He smiled slightly reaching up to push a curl behind her right ear. "I finally managed, after a couple of bouts of pure idiocy, to just find the one that had been with me since I was scared little eleven-year-old on a train, and let nature take its course, and when it did, to never, ever let go."

Hermione smirked against his lips, before they opened, slipping her tongue lightly along his, before sighing contently and pulling back an inch or two. "I would shag you right now, if I hadn't just an hour ago, and I had actually eaten today. I need energy for that little endeavor."

"Oh you most certainly do," Harry teased back, then stood, picking up his wife by the waist with a hand on each hip and gently setting her on her feet. "Do you want to eat in front of the fire?"

Hermione nodded, and rose on her toes, kissing his nose, "I'll get the blanket." She stepped around him, and grabbed a fresh bottle of wine and a pair of glasses. She sauntered to the door leading to the living room, and looked back over her shoulder, "Don't take too long, I'll be waiting." She stepped through the door, letting it swing after her and he sighed heavily, before returning to his task with a singular dedication.

A/N: There you go, S/H, E/X and H/Hr in the same chapter....what else could you possibly want? Hmmm.......there is that one thing still hanging out there, isn't there?

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28. Chapter 27: Stepping Through the Mirror

A/N: Here we go. Thanks as usual to Lady Starlight for her work on this chapter, and yes, I plan on going to the movie at the Midnight show, Wednesday morning.

Chapter 27: Stepping Through the Mirror
***************************Hogwarts*********************************
December 24, 2015
9:15 pm

Albus Dumbledore smiled as he sipped a mug of hot cider, and looked out over the grounds of his beloved school. His smile slipped only faintly, the pain muted by time, as he looked towards a corner of his grounds where a simple hut had stood for years and years. The current Keeper of the Keys and Grounds, resided in the castle, and Hagrid's hut had never been rebuilt after it's razing at the three-day-long battle for the fate of Wizarding Britain.

A faint trail of light came from one side and Dumbledore laughed as he saw fireworks detonate over Hogsmeade, forming giant, flaming images of St. Nick, and reindeer, and giant lighted trees. He paced back over to his desk, and sat in one of the comfortable armchairs fronting it, before retrieving a handful of Christmas cookies.

A flare of fire lit a corner of his office and he looked over, to find a pile of ash filling the dish set under Fawkes perch. "Finally," Dumbledore mused and watched the pile of ashes for a moment, waiting for his Familiar to shake off the ash. He frowned as a minute passed, then five, and no bedraggled chick emerged. He stood and paced over to the perch.

Dumbledore dug through the ashes, and his eyebrow crooked as no chick was present, only an empty plate of ashes. "That is odd."

***********************Godric's Hollow*******************************

December 24, 2015.
11:10 pm.

Hermione sighed contently as she nestled further into Harry's arms, and kissed him softly. She smiled at him as he pulled the soft, furry blanket around them a touch tighter. The light from the large tree in the corner of the room sparkled off Harry's glasses, as the pair cuddled together on the large comfortable couch. She kissed him again, before letting her head fall to the pillow facing his, only an inch separating their noses.

What you thinking? Hermione whispered, and sighed quietly as she felt the tips of his fingers tracing random symbols against the small of her back, taking advantage of the bare strip of skin there.

You can read my mind, why don't you tell me? Harry replied. She smiled and shrugged faintly, her eyes communicating more than enough, for them. I'm just happy, Hermione.

Yeah, me too, she agreed, me too.

Behind them, the rest of the Potter children and their significant others were scattered about the room. Harriet and Sirius were sleeping in a large armchair, with Sirius in the chair normally, and his feet up on a cassock, and Harriet lying sideways across his lap, with her head and the back of her knees resting on the arms of her chair. She held Sirius' hand in her sleep, and snored softly.

Next to the tree, Emilia was lying on her stomach, a pillow under her chin as she leisurely flipped through a copy of Seekers, Chasers, Keepers and Beaters, an Introspective Look at the Development of the Game, it had been an early Christmas present from Rain, since her other 'sister' was currently at Black Manor with Justin, and most likely Nathan and Anastasia. Rain's other present was not quite so...suitable for display in front of her parents. Xander was half snoozing with the back of his head cradled against her side, and Hipper sleeping on his belly in turn.

She paused in her reading to look down and back at him. Smiling, she returned to her book. Emilia sighed a moment later, and slowly rolled to her back, keeping Xander's head where it was, so it ended up on her belly. She let her hands fall down to cradle his head, and her fingers started to play with his hair. "Mum," she said after a moment, softly so as to not ruin the atmosphere.

"Yeah, Em?" Hermione replied without moving, her voice slightly muffled from her position on Harry's chest.

"What time are we supposed to be at Grandmum and Granddad's?"

"Umm," Hermione bit her lip, "For lunch, I think...I believe Anna is at Nathan's tonight." She rolled over, spooning back against Harry, "They just left about two hours ago, miss your grandparents already?" Hermione paused as Winky appeared and started digging around under the tree. After a minute she held up a tiny stuffed lion triumphantly. "Panka lost it again?"

"Yes, Mis..." Hermione crooked an eyebrow, and Winky visibly paused, "yes, Hermyee, he did, he won't sleep without it," Winky explained and Hermione nodded knowingly, the five-year-old son of Dobby and Winky, tended to leave his toys in nooks and crannies all over the house. A fact that still mortified Winky to no end, despite Hermione's insistence that it was all right. Winky nodded and vanished with a quiet POP.

Hermione yawned and wormed her way back, pressing against Harry as the blanket they were huddled under lifted slightly to tuck under her chin, "I think that your dad and I will just kip out here." Emilia nodded and pushed on Xander's head. He opened his eyes and yawned, sitting up at a silent word from Emilia. She looked up and towards the stairs with her eyes and he nodded, standing and pulling her to her feet without any discernable effort at all.

"What about them?" Emilia asked wryly, nodding towards Harriet and Sirius as they continued to doze...She sighed and reached back under her shirt for her wand, "I'll just float them up to bed," she smirked and looked back towards Hermione, "Should I split up the lovebirds, or..."

"Put them together, Em," Hermione said, tiredly, and yawned as she felt Harry had drifted off. "They'd just get up in the middle of the night and wander together anyway. Kinda like you and Xander." Emilia made a mildly affronted face towards her mother and pointed her wand towards the sleeping pair. She took a breath, concentrating on the spell, not wanting to send her brother crashing through the ceiling or something, when a blaring Klaxon ripped through her head.

"Oh bloody hell," Harry groaned as Hermione rolled to the floor in front of the couch and he sat up quickly, forcing a rush of magic through his system to fight off the remnants of sleep.

Hermione closed her eyes and caught her boots as they shot from near the door and dropped them in front of her. She stepped into them and laced them with a thought, absently glad that she had not gotten around to removing her socks. Harriet and Sirius woke with a start. He sat up abruptly and she almost tumbled to the floor, but was stopped as Sirius' hands flashed out instinctively before his eyes ever opened and held her to him.

She gave him a quick kiss as she slipped out of his arms and to the floor, stood, and drew her wand from under the sleeve of her jumper. Sirius stood behind her, and tugged her jumper down to meet her jeans, from where it had ridden up during her nap. Emilia hid a giggle, and shut up as Sirius glared at her.

Hermione rolled her eyes as she looked towards the kids, who all had their wands in hand, and then back to Harry. His face went blank as he interrogated the wards, and the active defenses that were already zooming on the new arrivals. The four, two human, and two much smaller than human, were moving towards the house, their progress slightly hindered by the calf-deep snow covering the grounds.

Hermione let out a soft gasp and staggered slightly, grabbing onto Harry as if she were still thirteen, as the two humans came close enough for them to identify the newcomers. Her hands shook as she intertwined them around one of Harry's to still them. Harry sat down slowly, pulling Hermione into his lap on the couch as the other four in the house looked at them. "Dobby," Harry said softly and Dobby appeared with a quiet POP, a miniature towel flung over one shoulder.

He clasped his hands together in front of him, "Can I do something for you, M...Harry?"

Harry smiled faintly, "Can you let our guests in, Dobby?" Dobby gave him a slightly befuddled look; then queried the wards himself and his already huge green eyes became enormous. He looked to the door, and then back to Harry, almost as if his own senses were lying to him.

"Dobby would be honored to," he said and vanished with a POP, reappearing next to the door, and opened it, just as a firm knock sounded on the thick, English oak door. The light from the house spilled out the door, outlining a pair in thick, dark cloaks. Their hoods were pulled forward, hiding their faces. A large duffle was thrown over the shoulder of the taller of the pair, who had to be 6'5" if an inch, and a full head to head and a half over his companion, a much slighter figure, obviously a witch.

They took a step into the house, and Harriet slowly stepped forward, slipping her wand back into her sleeve as she moved. "MUMMY, DADDY!" she shrieked and nearly leapt the distance separating them. Ron dropped the bag; it fell to the tile of the entrance with a loud thump and caught her as she jumped into his arms. "You're here, finally," she whispered, her voice muffled by the thick wool of his winter cloak.

"I've missed you, Little Snorkack," Ron replied, holding her to him as Luna wrapped her arms around them both. Harry stood slowly, holding Hermione in his arms as they watched the reunion silently. Pig flitted into the house, flying around Ron's head and spinning around the house rapidly, crashing into a picture of the trio on the mantle and sending it tumbling to the ground. Crookshanks merowed loudly and started to chase the bird, the pair vanished up the stairs and another crash came from somewhere upstairs.

Luna slowly let go of Harriet, and Ron sat her back down on her feet, before reaching up and pulling down his hood.

Hermione gasped quietly as she saw the scar running down through his hair, and through an eye socket. She took a hesitant step forward as Luna pulled her hood down and shook out her fall of long blonde hair.

Luna's Familiar padded into the house, and walked forward like he had always lived there. Stopping stopped next to the fire, Greymalkin exchanged an almost perfunctory sniff with Hipper, before the two Kneazles settled down on the hearthrug.

Ron's eye tracked the felines; then looked back to Hermione and then Harry, the eye leaving a faint glowing trail behind in the slightly dim vestibule. "Hi, Hermione, Harry," Ron said, smiling faintly, "miss me?" In the background, near the tree that was still providing much of the light, Emilia looked back and up at Xander as she slowly resheathed her wand, and a faint flicker of power withdrew from her eyes. He gave her a small smile and kissed her hair, before they took a small step towards the newcomers.

Hermione swallowed, her lip in her teeth as she leaned against Harry's arms, letting them support her weight. "Honestly, Ronald, I know that you like to sleep in, but this is rather ridiculous." Luna snorted loudly as Ron held out his arms and Hermione stepped across, and let him crush her in a hug, though her arms of steel might have just outdone his own. "It's about bloody time," she murmured, her voice cracking.

"I'm sorry, sis," Ron murmured against her hair, tightening his arms for a moment. "Thanks for taking care of Harriet," he added quietly and let her go as Harry finished hugging Luna and kissed her cheek as he backed away.

Hermione just nodded as she stepped over to Luna and pulled her best female friend to her, her sister in all that mattered in the universe.

Luna muttered something in Hermione's ear and kissed her cheek, "Thank you, Hermione, she doesn't seem to have Wrackspurts in her ears or anything."

Hermione grinned, "Well, it was a challenge." She looked over as Harry enveloped Ron in a brotherly hug.

Sirius had stepped forward and was now watching the adults, and occasionally glancing over at Harriet, to find her looking back at him nervously. She took a step towards him, and then paused, glancing back to her parents.

Hermione smirked slightly as she caught sight of the scene out of the corner of her eye.

"Mum," Harriet said softly, her eyes flicking to Sirius' for a heartbeat, an almost imperceptible pause before she looked on at the other two. "This is Em and Xander," she said pointing to the pair. Emilia gave a small wave, and Xander nodded. "Xander is Em's...betrothed," Harriet added after a beat, almost absently. "That's Sirius," she said rather quickly, waving at him, and he nodded to Luna, smiling and mouthing, "Hello."

His eyes cut to Harriet as Luna glanced away, back to Hermione, and she gave him a tiny shake of her head. An apologetic look slipped across her eyes and he gave her a quick, hidden smile.

Luna crooked an eyebrow at Hermione, and Hermione gave her the faintest of nods.

Ron looked between the two of them, and then to Harry, "Do you happen to have anything to eat?"

Luna sighed quietly and gave Hermione a rueful smile. Hermione shrugged slightly, and looked towards the kitchen.

"Come' on, Mate," Harry laughed, grabbing Ron's shoulder and steering him towards the kitchen. "I think there is some turkey left, and I have a half case of Seamus' special microbrew."

"Seamus makes beer?"

"He owns a pub."

"Cool."

*************************Black Manor*******************************
December 25, 2015
1:12 am

Rain carefully opened an inlaid, ornate door, and peered out into the hall. It was dimly lit by a few, widely-spaced sconces from which dim Illumination Orbs spilled light out onto the floor. She padded out into the hall and eased the door closed, her bare feet making absolutely no sound on the inlaid wood floors as she started down the hall, with a glint in her eye.

Her hair was falling loose down her back, and was brushed until it shimmered, blue-black in the orb-light. Her long legs were bare, peaking out from under a black silk chemise that fell just to the tops of her thighs, which danced as she slipped down the hall. She paused, and took a breath, her hands shaking slightly as she adjusted the thin strap holding the garment up. Merlin, girl, it's just Justin.

Rain passed a closed door, where she knew that Nathan and Anastasia had not-so-covertly retired to in a fit of giggles from the brunette girl a couple of hours ago. Despite herself, she paused and strained to hear anything from within, but only a curious utter silence greeted her and she shook her head, knowing that they would have put up a Silencing Charm. She smiled to herself and continued on, walking towards the other end of the hall where Justin's room was. He had retired to his bed an hour ago, after walking her to her room and leaving her with a kiss that made her slip inside her room and spend a moment alone on the bed after she shed her jeans.

She took a breath at the memory, a faint flush dusting her cheeks as she slipped carefully past a partially open door, moving quickly through a sliver of spilled yellow light. She froze as she heard voices from within, approaching. As they came near, she ducked back into an alcove. The pair stopped just out of sight.

"I can't do it, Draco," Ginny's voice moaned quietly, "I won't do it and I won't let you either...I won't kill them."

"Do you want to die, Gin?" Draco snapped back lowly, and in the hall, Rain froze utterly, inserting her fist half in her mouth. "Do you think I want to...Merlin damnit woman, do you think I want my own children to hate me...not thirty feet from here, Granger's sister is either shagging my son, or passed out after they are done. And Rain might as well be her other daughter...they both feel that way, hell, she'll probably come after us, when we do it, if we're not careful enough."

Damn right, you bastard, Rain snarled fiercely. She took a step back and her back rammed unseen into a small pedestal holding a ceramic bust of an owl, that Ginny thought was 'cute.' It fell to the floor and shattered, the sound like a gunshot in the stillness. She spun and darted, heading desperately towards Justin's door. Her hand slapped her bare thigh, not finding the wand that would have given her a chance. A step creaked the wood behind her, and a red light filled her vision.

Draco paused in the doorway, his wand still in hand and pointing at her crumpled form when Ginny ran around him and slid to her knees next to Rain. She pulled a dark green, silk robe around her, covering up a negligee of the same color as she ran her hands along Rain's cheek; brushing dark locks out of her eyes. Ginny looked back up at Draco with troubled eyes. "Damn, Justin," he murmured, his eyes slipping down the unconscious girl's body, "I knew you had good taste."

Ginny huffed annoyedly, and pulled down Rain's top to cover, mostly, a set of knickers the same color. "That isn't funny, Draco."

"Don't get your knickers in a twist, luv," Draco replied and then sighed, running his free hand over his hair. He knelt next to Rain. He closed his eyes, and then opened them, keeping them away from Ginny and on Rain's face. His mind filled in the huge dark blue eyes that he knew normally dominated her face. "I know it's not, Ginny," he said very quietly. He reached out and ran a finger along her cheek, "I know it's not. I was looking forward to having grandkids, Gin...her eyes and blonde hair...a little girl..." Draco swallowed, and rocked to his feet. "I'm so sorry, Rain...this is all our fault....OBLIVATE."

A yellow fan snapped over her head, lingering for an instant before dissipating. Draco looked to Ginny, "Go make sure that your son is still asleep." Ginny started to say something, but left anyway as he gave her another look.

Draco flicked his wand and Rain floated up into the air and hovered in front of him as he walked down the hall to his younger son's room. They moved into the room, finding a room decorated in a manner that would have probably killed his paternal grandfather on the spot from sheer apoplexy. Justin was still sleeping and occupying a large, black platform bed that dominated one wall, set under a large, framed autographed poster from a Muggle SciFi movie with the head of the bed pushed into a corner. A pair of racked swords hung on a rack under that, directly over the head of the bed, one of which Draco had recovered from the Malfoy vaults below the manor. Its jet-black, leaf-shaped blade was covered in dark silver dragonhide, and its wire-wrapped hilt gleamed dimly in the light from a pair of candles on the bedside table. Rain had begun teaching her boyfriend in the use of the sword, last school year, and in fact that teaching had been the impetus for the pair of them to get together. The other sword in the rack was a reproduction of Obi-Wan's lightsaber from Revenge of the Sith.

Several other pieces of modern, jet-black furniture were scattered about the room, filling it. A bookshelf was overstuffed with books, papers and assorted memorabilia, and a model of a Muggle starfighter, one of the newest American ones, rested on the top of the shelves. Draco looked over to Ginny as he floated Rain in, and slowly maneuvered her until she landed lightly on the bed next to Justin.

Ginny bit her lip but slowly pulled the dark blue sheets out from under the girl and tucked her in, her heart beating painfully as she bent down and kissed Rain's forehead. She grabbed Draco's hand and pulled him back to the door. She grabbed his wand and flicked it at Rain, sending a half-strength Enervate at her, just enough to dispel the worst of the stunner. They mostly pulled the door closed and watched as Rain moved in her sleep, to rest her head on Justin's shoulder.

Draco pulled the door closed and it latched with a soft click, before Ginny wrapped both arms around him and sobbed quietly into his chest.

****************************The Burrow**********************************
December 25, 2015.
11:05 am

Molly Weasley frowned slightly as she looked over at the expanded kitchen table and watched as the women of the Weasley clan worked on various tasks of to prepare the Christmas Feast that would soon ensue. She watched as Ginny was directing a potato peeler with her wand. She frowned as Rain, who had tagged along with Ginny and the rest, slowly stirred a batter; though, Molly had been rather impressed with her skills with a kitchen knife deboning a chicken for a soup.

Both Angelina and Alicia were sitting across from her, setting out rolls onto a large cooking sheet, taking them as Virginia wadded them from a bowl of dough. Angelina gave her daughter a smile, and took a wad of roll from her to start another sheet.

"It is rather a shame that Nathan couldn't be here," Molly said as she turned from the stove and set a large pot on the counter with a flick of her wand. She wiped her hands on her apron and looked at Ginny.

Ginny shrugged and directed the now-peeled potatoes to the sink with a flick of her wand. It started washing them and she wondered absently what her husband was doing and if he needed saving from her brothers, "He's with Anna, Mum," Ginny smiled vaguely, "she was so happy last night."

Molly frowned faintly as she started to stir the pot with her wand, "He should be with his family."

"He is," Ginny replied as she stood and walked over to the coldbox, pouring herself a goblet of Pumpkin Juice. She waved the glass around the room and got a nod from Rain. Pouring another, she sent the glass over to her with a flick of her wand. "Anna's as much his family now as we are, Mum."

Molly looked over at her from the pot, her eyes flickered almost imperceptibly towards Rain, and then back to Ginny. "Still he should be with us, on Christmas, of course he's not the only one, that should be."

Angelina and Alicia gave each other discreet looks and looked back to their tasks. Ginny did not comment further, giving up for now, she had already heard it from her mother all morning.

"I just don't see what the attraction is to Jane and Roger's...I know they are Anna's grandparents, but you would have thought at least he would have come here."

She wiped her hands on her apron again, "I suppose that it's too late now," she said in a strangely light tone. Molly smiled as she sat at the table opposite Virginia, "So, Virginia, has some strapping young Gryffindor lad caught your eye yet? I heard that you didn't take a date to the Yule Ball, I can't believe some sixth year didn't snap you up."

Rain caught Angelina's eye, and watched as she gave a miniscule shake of her head.

Virginia shrugged, "There wasn't really a boy who I liked," she explained and gave her mum a slightly hopeless look.

Molly did not seem to notice, "What about that nice boy from Star's Hollow...I hear he's going into sixth year, he's a Hufflepuff."

"Sam's kinda weird, Grandmum," Virginia replied, as Rain looked down and away, burying her face in her goblet of juice. Angelina sighed very faintly.

"Well what about that nice Bancroft boy in Ravenclaw, I was talking to his grandmother just the other day."

"I'm not interested," Virginia said with a faint hint of exasperation.

"Mum, just leave her alone," Ginny interrupted.

"Nonsense," Molly said waving away Ginny's comment, and both of the Twins' wives flinched, "it's just us girls here. Surely there's some boy who's causing my Gryffindor Princess' heart to flutter."

"Not really."

"I know when Ginny was your age she was bopping from boy to boy, there were always boys clamoring for her attention...and then she had that little fling with Harry...Of course Draco is such a dear..."

Ginny worked her tongue around the inside of her cheek, as Virginia shrugged, "I'm just not interested in any of them."

"What about that Nick Spannercock, he's a nice boy..."

"Damn it, Grandmum, I'm not interested..." Virginia snapped heatedly.

"Virginia Anne Weasley, watch your language, it is not at all lady-like...I'm just trying to..."

"I have a girlfriend, alright?" Virginia growled. Every other woman in the room closed their eyes save Molly, who just cocked her head slightly to the side.

"I know you do, you have all sorts of friends, Rain...that Chastity girl..."

"A girlfriend," Virginia's teeth were clenched, "a girl I snog, cuddle with in the middle of the night when I'm scared, who I am bloody well in love with..."

Molly's face froze and she glared at Angelina, "Well, I never...Do you know what your daughter just said...She..."

Angelina took a breath and slowly stood from the table, "Yes, I know quite well what she said. And she has my full support."

"It must be those awful Muggle ideas," Molly snorted, "I have never heard such ideas...You don't know what you are saying..."

Virginia slowly stood from the table, "Mum, I'm going to go home...I'm not hungry anymore." Angelina nodded, as Molly continued to glare at Virginia. "Goodbye, Grandmother...since you don't seem to want me here..." she spun in place and vanished with a crack that shook the windows.

Molly continued to stare at the empty spot her granddaughter had occupied, before slowly panning her eyes over to her daughter-in-law.

Angelina was glaring, her eyes drilling holes in the front of Molly's gingham dress. She looked to her best friend, and sister-in-law, and received a slow nod, "My daughter makes her own choices, and I support whatever she chooses." She stepped away from the table, "Now if you will excuse me, Mum, I am going to go find my husband, and just perhaps, I will not decide to remember just how many hexes I know."

Angelina walked from the room, her fists clenched at her sides. Molly looked around at the women remaining, and Ginny took a slow breath, "Rain, honey," she said softly, "why don't you go and find Justin, I'm sure by now his uncles are driving him spare." Rain nodded briskly, her hair flipped into her face and she brushed it out of her eyes as she vanished with a soft POP. Alicia followed without a word, leaving Ginny alone in the room with her mother.

Molly did not wait for Ginny to open her mouth, "I can not believe it...She must have learned this from those outlandish ideas..."

"Mum..." Ginny interrupted, "Shut it." She dropper her hands to her hips, "Your only concern should be to support your grandchildren's choices. Virginia is almost an..."

"She is only fifteen, she does not know what she wants...."

"What are you going to do, Mum, feed her a love potion to fall for someone you approve of...seems to think that was attempted before...And I'm still paying for it, Merlin-damn it..."

"That was your own choice, Ginerva."

"Because you had fed me what was right for me all my bloody life," Ginny hissed. "You've already driven Harriet to hide from you, so you want all of them to do so, because if it's a choice between you and their friends, they'll chose their friends. Just like I should have, just like the rest of your children did the last time you pulled this shit." Ginny huffed and vanished with a POP, looking for Draco, and possibly some sanity in the day that had started so darkly.

A/N: I know a lot of you were looking for a happy Christmas, but all is not always sunny and light. Next chapter, yes, Molly will find out that R/L are home. And Ron gets an offer he can't refuse.

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29. Chapter 28: Family is Everything....and Nothing

A/N: Here we go, a snowy confrontation. Thanks as usual to Lady Starlight for her work on this chapter, it is appreciated. As usual I own nothing, though some days...
Chapter 28: Family is Everything, and Nothing

**************************Godric's Hollow********************************

December 27, 2015
7:40 pm

Harriet rolled to her side, and looked up at Sirius as he read from a thick copy of Dark Arts and You, a Defensive Treatise. Sirius yawned, and rested his head against the headboard of his bed. His eyes fell closed and he jerked them open after a second, looking down at her, as she smiled at him, and squeezed the hand nearest hers.

Harriet looked around his room for a moment, and smiled at Natasha as she looked back and gave her a soft hoot. She scooted on the bed until she could rest her head on his lap and sighed softly, closing her eyes contently, as he absently combed his fingers through her hair, and continued to read. The wireless, which was playing softly in the background, changed songs, going to a new song by the Wyverns.

Her eyes opened as Sirius yawned and his fingers stopped moving. Harriet sat up, turning to face him, "Just because you've finally admitted you're my boyfriend doesn't mean you have to entertain me, Sirius." She reached up and patted his cheek, "I am a big girl after all."

"Oh, thank Merlin," Sirius whispered and she giggled, rising up on her knees, before she leaned in, pushing the book now hanging limply in one hand, tumbling to the floor as she crawled into his lap, and lowered her lips to his. She sighed softly as she kissed him, then continued on to the other side of his lap and crawled out of bed.

"Go to sleep, Sirius," she said, bending down to kiss him again. Harriet looked towards the open door and pulled down her jumper to meet the waist of her jeans, and grinned faintly as he looked disappointed. She crouched next to the bed and held his hand as he slipped down the bed, and rolled onto his side facing her. She flicked her wand, causing a soft, furry blanket to unfold from the bottom of the bed to cover him up to his chin. She reached up and played with his hair for a moment, watching as it did what it wanted as soon as her fingers moved away.

Harriet pulled his glasses from his face and kissed him again, as she set them on the bedside table, "I'm going to go talk to Mum, take a kip; I'll be back, Sirius. I'll be here when you wake up." He nodded and she flicked her wand again, dousing the lights and drawing the heavy curtains, sending the room into dimness, only the light of a lava lamp on the dresser providing a soft reddish-gold glow.

Harriet stood and slipped her wand behind one ear and walked silently to the door on bare feet, closing it behind her as she slipped into the hallway. She walked to the head of the stairs and started down, placing each foot lightly on the carpeted runner on the stairs. Reaching the end, she stepped into the living room and stepped around to the other side of the couch. A giggle was cut off with her hands quickly covering her lips, as she found Ron; sleeping on his back, with his mouth wide open.

Someone had obviously performed a Silencing Charm on him, as she could tell from the expression on his face that he was snoring away. Harriet grinned and skipped away, headed to the kitchen, from which she could smell the aroma of tomatoes and spices.

Harry was bent over a large cutting board on the counter, a large knife flashing expertly in his hands as he thinly sliced strips of chicken from a pile of breasts. He turned and grinned at her, before summoning a pan with a glance and having it float over to him. He scraped the meat into the skillet and directed it to a low flame. He walked over to the sink and washed his hands quickly, drying them and turning to Harriet, "Hi, Harry," Harry said and Harriet grinned, "dinner will be ready in about a half hour, you should probably tell Sirius."

Harriet glanced up, back in the direction of Sirius' bedroom, "Um...Uncle Harry, would it be okay, if he and I ate later...he's asleep."

Harry's eyes twinkled, "You've only been going together what, three, four days and you've already worn him out..."

"Uncle Harry," Harriet moaned, blushing. She looked away for him and then back at him, almost defiantly, "No...but I'm going to...someday..." she added in a faint whisper.

"Good girl," Harry replied, laughing, and she grinned, "Don't worry, I'll get your food safe from your father; I've had experience in doing so." She slipped across the kitchen and kissed his cheek. "What's that for?"

"Thank you," she said, and he nodded. "Where's Mum?"

"I think she's in the den with Hermione," he said absently, turning back to the stovetop and moving the skillet with a flick of two fingers, causing it to move back and forth on the flames. He turned back to find that she had slipped out of the kitchen and he shrugged, starting to slice vegetables for the sauce.

Harriet paused outside of the den as she heard her mother's voice coming from within. "Oh, Merlin, Hermione," Luna said breathlessly, "I missed this." Harriet's eyes became wide as Galleons as her hand froze halfway through pushing the door open. She knocked instead, timidly.

"Come in," a laughing soprano replied and she slowly pushed open the door.

Luna was sitting sideways in a large, comfortable chair, across from Hermione, who was sprawled along a slightly careworn couch. A large, open box of chocolates was sitting open on the coffee table between them, along with a pair of glasses of wine. Luna was chewing blissfully on a large truffle, she swallowed and looked to Hermione, "I love you, sis, I hadn't had Honeydukes in seventeen years." She turned her head enough to see Harriet, "Hi, honey," she said brightly. She waved at the chair she was lounging in, "Come here."

Harriet crossed the room and let her mother pull her back onto her lap. "Uncle Harry says that dinner will be in about a half hour," she announced as Hermione leaned forward to snag her glass of wine. She took a sip as she sat back and cradled the glass in both hands. Hermione looked over at a large clock hanging behind the large, oak desk at one end of the room, surrounded by dark wood shelves, filled to overflowing with mementoes and books, lots, and lots and lots of books. More books than were possible to fit in the room, in fact.

Hermione looked back to Harriet, "Where is Sirius, honey, I thought you two were studying?"

"He's asleep," she shrugged, "He was tired, so I told him to go to sleep."

"And just why is he tired, Harriet?" Emilia said from the door, she crooked an eyebrow and crossed to the couch and curled up with her mother, letting her body fall back against Hermione's. Hermione started to idly play with her daughter's hair, frowning slightly as she found a small tangle in the back and started to work at it. Emilia winced slightly, as Hermione freed the tangle of dark curls, then shared a quick smile with her mum before looking back to Harriet, "I mean I know why Xander was yawning a bit ago when I made him go help Dad with dinner, but why is Sirius?"

Harriet looked down, and shrugged very slightly as Hermione and Luna shared a slightly smug look over their daughters' heads. Hermione gestured towards the table and another pair of filled wineglasses appeared on the table. Emilia grinned as she leaned forward and snagged one, "Thanks, Mum," she said as she took a sip.

"You're welcome." Hermione took another sip of her wine and caught a chocolate as it floated over from the table. She ate it slowly; closing her eyes for an instant in bliss as another of Honeydukes select disappeared. "So, what are your intentions with my son, Harriet?" Hermione grinned over the top of her wineglass.

Harriet looked across to find Emilia looking at her mischievously, she looked up and back to find Luna looking off into the corner distractedly, watching the play of the reflected light from a small silver instrument set alone on a table on the wall. Thanks, Mum, Harriet murmured, a snarkish air to her thoughts. Harriet shrugged again. She twisted her hands in her lap; then brought them up to play with a small golden lion pendant, a Christmas gift from Sirius. The one he had bought, before.

She swallowed and let her hands fall back to her lap, tightening them together as she looked Hermione in the eye. "Honestly, Aunt Hermione..." she took a breath as Hermione sat up just slightly and Emilia rolled her tongue around the inside of her cheek, trying not to laugh. "The minute Sirius graduates, I mean to marry him on the steps of Hogwarts."

Emilia almost spit out her wine and Hermione automatically patted her back as Luna laughed, and Harriet went on, "And depending on exactly which careers we pursue, will depend on exactly when get started on our own family." Emilia choked loudly.

Luna smiled beatifically, as Hermione bit her lip, her eyes sparkling. "And how do you know this...it's a bit early for you two to have discussed that, isn't it, even for this family."

Harriet sighed quietly, "I just know...there are many possible futures...that's the one I want the most...so it has to be the one that's real." Her voice fell slightly on the last, as if it were more a plea than anything, and Luna looked down, hugging her back to her and kissing the top of her head.

"It is, if you want it enough, honey," she said softly, her voice utterly normal. Harriet turned slightly and looked back up at Luna, grinning shyly. Luna kissed her brow, and ran her fingers over her hair. "It's what I did, after all...though it didn't follow quite the path I had envisioned, your Dad and I got sidetracked for a bit, but it will all out in the end."

"Yeah," Hermione said quietly, slipping from the couch to kneel in front of the chair holding Luna and Harriet, "It will." She looked back towards Emilia on the couch, "The right path has a way of winning out over the easy one, or the dark one for that matter." Emilia gave her a small, suddenly-timid smile.

A soft cough came from the door and all four women looked up to find Xander looking at them sheepishly from the doorway. Emilia vanished from the couch, Apparating into his arms as he raised them automatically. They wrapped around her as she lifted enough to kiss him to the accompaniment of wolf whistles from Hermione and Luna. Emilia looked back at them, smirking as she turned around in his arms. "Harry says dinner is done," Xander announced and looked to Luna, "Aunt Luna, he said something about you having to deal with Uncle Ron."

"Yes, he often does resemble an annoyed Ichneumon when he wakes up," Luna replied, nodding knowingly. Emilia took Xander's hand as she spun out of his arms and pulled him towards the kitchen, walking backwards as she pulled him along. Hermione followed after them, glancing back and catching a small gesture from Luna as the blonde lagged behind with her daughter.

"Are you coming to dinner?" Luna asked her daughter as she followed Hermione and Emilia to the door, walking towards the tempting smells coming from the direction of the kitchen. She stopped and looked back, swirling her long skirt back and forth as she waited. Luna smiled absently, "He is very pretty, Harriet, just like his daddy, I approve...though I'm not sure if you will have sprogs with black or red hair...maybe blonde...maybe we can mix all three colors, that would be pretty..."

Harriet grinned and hugged her mother, "Thank you, Mummy," she murmured against Luna's hair, the two of them almost the same height. Luna nodded, and turned her head enough to kiss Harriet's brow.

"Go to him, honey," Luna whispered in her ear, "I'll keep your daddy from eating everything in sight. She watched, smiling faintly as Harriet let out a small squeak and vanished, with a faint POP of Apparation. Luna started off towards the kitchen more...conventionally, though most walked in a straight line, instead of a pattern more reminiscent of a dance.

Harriet appeared a floor up in her room, and quickly darted over to her dresser. She skinned out of her jeans and pulled on a loose pair of red sweatpants with Gryffindor written across the bum in gold. She pulled her jumper over her head, followed by a tie-dyed bra, before she pulled out a Gryffindor team t-shirt she had purloined from Sirius much earlier in the year and slipped it on. She crossed the hall quickly, stepping into Sirius' room and closing the door behind her.

She leaned back against the closed door and stood, watching Sirius sleep for a long minute or ten. He had turned in his sleep from earlier and was now facing the door. She smiled faintly, feeling her heart speed up slightly as he stirred a bit and muttered something happily in his sleep that sounded like "Harry". She was pretty sure he did not dream about his father much.

Harriet padded over to the bed on bare feet, and lifted the warm, furry blanket she had covered Sirius with earlier. She slid in under the covers and scooted over until she was within inches of him. She stretched out an arm and wrapped it around him, smiling as he moved closer to her, snuggling into her body. A low, contented sound whispered from her lips as she pulled his head down to rest on her shoulder. Harriet's smile widened slightly as he pulled his head down a touch in his sleep, letting his head be pillowed by her chest.

"G'night, Sirius," she murmured, and heard something similar in return. She bent her head enough to kiss the top of his head, and kept her lips there as she bent her body around his.

Downstairs, in a small kitchen that magically had expanded enough to seat eight, though two places were rather conspicuously empty, Harry was looking across a kitchen table and laughing at a ribald joke Ron had just uttered to the visible annoyance of his wife and Hermione. He looked over to Hermione and dropped his eyes, as she reached up and tapped him lightly in the back of the head. Emilia giggled, uproariously, and started to choke on a piece of chicken.

Xander helped her, patting her back until she half-coughed it up. "Alright there, Em?" Harry asked automatically, looking across the table. She nodded and took a sip of her water, and sat back in her chair.

"Yeah, Dad, I'm..." A raucous alarm cut across her words, and her wand appeared in her hand as she stood, and turned towards the door. A red, shimmering glow pre-lit the tip of her wand as she looked towards the door leading to the living room and the main entrance to the house, the direction from which her link to the wards was already telling her that eight intruders had violated the estate defenses. Xander flicked his wrist and his fell dropped from the sleeve of jumper into his hand as he moved to back her up. She looked back over her shoulder to see Harry step over to the wall.

He waved his hand over a framed picture of Hogwarts, taken as if looking up to it from the lake. The image shimmered and changed, showing slightly green-tinted images of seven robed wizards and one person who all of them knew instantly, and he and Hermione had already identified. What the hell does she want? Harry asked, glancing over at Hermione out of the corner of his eye.

She's got MLE with her...Hermione replied, recognizing several of the members of the junior service standing outside of their door. Hermione looked back at Ron and Luna, who still were 'not alive' and then at Emilia and Xander. "Something odd's going on here, stay here."

"Hermione, that's..." Ron objected pointing towards the person standing unhooded in the center, with flaming red hair.

"I know, Ron," Hermione looked at Harry, "It's your choice, Ron...if you want her to know, come with us."

Luna reached out and grabbed Ron's arm, "It would probably be best if we waited a few moments...It is, curious, just what Molly Weasley is doing outside the Hollow on a snowy evening at dinner time, unannounced, one would think."

A silent alarm snapped in the Potters' heads, and Emilia slipped to the back door. "Dad..."

"I know," Harry snapped, Hermione gave a silent nod, "Go, Em." She gave him a tense smile and vanished silently, followed a beat later by Xander, with only a bare whisper of a POP. Harry tapped the picture frame and suddenly the low voices of the MLE officers along with Molly's low dulcet tones filled the room. Harry smiled faintly at Hermione and caught the night-black cloak she tossed him. Harry spun in place and vanished, and Hermione looked at the empty air he had occupied for a single heartbeat before she took a breath, gave Ron and Luna a single nod and followed.

Outside, in the midst of a light, swirling snowfall, Molly Weasley turned to the leader of the MLE team with her, all of them here on sealed orders from a Junior Member of the Wizengamot. "Well get on with it, Baker, I'll have her in the Burrow this evening where she belongs."

Theodore Baker, a twenty year veteran of the MLE, looked on nervously, having seen exactly what the occupants of this house could do if irritated. He looked back at Molly, and sighed heavily, "Alright, Johnson..."

A young MLE officer, barely out of the Academy, looked back to his superior and slowly pushed open the garden gate and started towards the house. Baker and two more MLE officers moved with him, along with Molly. Three others slowly trailed them, and faded into invisibility as they shook out silvery cloaks and whipped them over their heads.

Johnson reached the front porch and stepped up three low steps to the door, and knocked firmly on it... "MAGICAL LAW ENFORCEMENT, OPEN UP, WE HAVE A ORDER FOR REMOVAL OF A MINOR..."

No one answered the door. Behind the visible Wizards, brief, faint flickers snapped in the night and soft, unnoticed thumps came from near the garden fence.

Behind the house, near the edge of the lake, a pair of barely visible shadows flitted along the shore, trailing slowly behind another four MLE officers that had hiked in overland, thinking to avoid any wards. The leader, a hard-looking woman, waved towards the porch, "Let's get this over with...It's about time that we take them down a peg, bloody Potters...And that Muggleborn bitch, lording over her betters, giving them orders..." The other three officers looked at her but did not speak...not bothering to argue. They were more worried with the strong possibility that this was not the safest endeavor that they had ever undertaken.

Behind them, within easy hearing of a wolfling and his soul-bonded mate, who also just happened to be a potential Archmage, or probably already was, two more invisible defenders moved with wands pointed at the intruders' backs. Hungry, Xander? Emilia muttered, watching as the woman stumbled over something buried in the snow.

They'd give me gas, Em, and I'm sure you don't want to be with me tonight if that happens, he replied and she carefully did not snort.

No, if you stink up the sheets, I'm sleeping in Harriet's room. Emilia danced to the side, her steps silent, even in the snow, unlike the MLE agents who had not even bothered to silence their steps. She and Xander had learned better when they were eight.

It's not like she's going to use it tonight, Xander murmured, and Emilia glanced over to him, his aura clearly visible in her sight, even though his body was not.

They are just sleeping, Xander, Emilia snapped, even though a faint trace of a silent giggle underlined her words. She crouched easily, as the MLE quartet stopped in the lee of a small broom shed next to the pitch. I guess we wait, she murmured, feeling Xander's agreement in the corner of her mind as he lowered into an easy hunter's crouch, and becoming totally invisible as the advanced Disillusionment Charm faded into the background.

Back in the front of the house, Johnson looked back towards his commander, who took a glare from Molly, and sighed, he drew his wand, as did the rest of his visible agents. "REDUCTO!" Johnson snapped and a blue bolt hissed from his wand, directly at the lock on the door...and vanished as it hit a shimmering gold field that fluxed twice and twin red beams snapped from the eves, sending him tumbling backwards off the porch into the snow...

"WHAT THE..." A pair of red flickers snapped from out of nowhere and the other two MLE agents collapsed, leaving Molly Weasley and Baker alone. Their wands flew from their hands an instant later. Reflected red light came from somewhere behind the house, and then silence.

Baker jumped as a patch of air only feet from his face shimmered and solidified, a pair of glowing emerald eyes appearing first, behind small, round lenses that reflected the light. Harry looked to the MLE agent, "Can you tell me why there are currently," Harry paused, reading the wards, "seven unconscious MLE agents and three under a Petrificus under their invisibly cloaks on my yard?" Baker looked shocked, and Hermione shimmered into existence behind him.

"Or why my daughter and her fiancé will probably catch the flu out in this weather, because you thought you could trespass on our property," Hermione added, her eyes blazing...

"We are here to take Harriet home," Molly snapped.

"You have admitted that you and your family assaulted MLE agents on their appointed tasks," Baker put in heatedly, cutting across Molly, any previous apprehensions about the assignment hidden under his anger at having his force disabled so trivially.

"No," Harry said flatly, "we saved your arses, I'd say." He looked back around the area and waved his hand, summoning the cloaks from the three invisible MLE officers and tossing them in a pile on the porch. "I could have let the house defenses deal with you and yours...you should have Flooed ahead."

"We have a warrant for the removal of one Harriet Weasley from these premises and to remand her into the custody of her proven blood relative until such time that the supposed guardianship documents can be examined," Baker snapped.

Molly started towards the door, only to bounce off as a field snapped into place, barring the way. She looked over to Hermione, "I shall be taking my Granddaughter..."

Baker looked between the pair, then back at Harry, "This warrant is signed by Preston Gildersnart...I am sure that you are aware of his position."

"Yes," Harry replied softly, "I am aware that he heads the Underage Magical Welfare Department...and holds a seat on the Wizengamot...Which, if I remember correctly, I do as well, along with two others." He looked to Molly, "You aren't taking her, Molly, she doesn't want to go; she's happy here, she has friends her own age, and she's settled in."

"It is about what is best for her, not what she thinks is best for her," Molly snapped, moving over to stand in front of Harry. "You have already cost my family enough," Harry winced, and took a breath as his eyes flared.

"Get off our property, Molly," Hermione said lethally. She turned to Baker, "You have no authority over this house or grounds, Harry and I answer to the Minister of Magic, not to the MLE, and not to his wife. And even he will not make me sunder a promise to my..."

"Judge Gildersnart," Baker began...

"Does not overrule my orders," a pleasant, deep voice said from somewhere in the snow. Albus Dumbledore stepped from the darkness, and gave Harry and Hermione a brief nod. His blue eyes looked at Molly along the length of his long, crooked nose with an air of mild disappointment, "Officer Baker, you will leave the premises now, I hereby countermand your orders and block any of the like until further notice." He turned his head slightly, "Unless you would like to discuss the matter further," Dumbledore's blue eyes twinkled madly as he held the MLE officer's gaze, "And I will be extremely...displeased, if this matter is brought up again, in any way." Baker just nodded and caught his wand as Hermione tossed it to him.

Dumbledore flicked his wand, undoing the various Stunners and Petrification Charms on the MLE agents. He watched, with only the barest flicker of visible amusement as Xander and Emilia appeared a moment later, leading a floating train of four unconscious bodies. Emilia flicked her wand and watched as they settled at Baker's feet to be Enervated by Dumbledore a beat later. The four stood groggily and staggered off at an order from Baker, towards the Apparition zone in the front of the house.

After another few minutes in which the Potters, Xander and Dumbledore watched the MLE officers leave, and Molly fume, Dumbledore turned to Harry, "I think that we would rather be inside, Harry," he looked at Emilia who was shivering but not saying a word as she huddled against Xander, "it would be, I think, a touch more comfortable."

Harry nodded and they all vanished, reappearing in an empty living room. "Tea, Albus?" Hermione asked, shrugging off the cloak she had worn and tossing it over the back of a chair. "You might want to get out of those wet clothes, Em, Xander," she added almost as an afterthought. Emilia nodded and pulled on Xander, leading him up the stairs.

"I would be delighted," Dumbledore replied, helping himself to a seat in a large, leather recliner.

"I am not here to have tea, Hermione," Molly said shortly, Hermione seemed to ignore her as she slipped towards the kitchen. She pushed the door open and slipped inside, oddly no sound seemed to come from the room as the door closed.

"I find a cup of tea to be very relaxing," Dumbledore said, and looked across at Harry as he sat opposite him on a couch, "Don't you, Harry."

"I don't know, Albus," Harry replied, "I often find a nice mulled mead appropriate." Dumbledore gave him a twinkle, remembering the day that he had come to retrieve Harry from the Dursleys. Both of their expressions faded, however, as the codicil to that flitted independently across their thoughts, of the events that had happened almost exactly a year later.

"I am tired of this," Molly said, still refusing to sit, she glared at Harry, "I am taking Harriet home, she has already been injured because she was too near your family...And I do not think it appropriate that she lives under the same roof as an unattached boy, especially with the level of supervision that occurs here...Now, I have not commented on how you raise your own children," she put in, and Hermione rolled her eyes, as she stepped back into the room with a tray floating at her shoulder. She directed it to land lightly on the coffee table between Harry and Dumbledore, and a cup jumped up, hovered next to the pot and received a load of tea. A pair of sugar cubes danced out of a sugar bowl decorated with images of cavorting otters, before the mug flitted over to Dumbledore's hand.

Hermione sat down next to Harry, neither of them indicating the chair that still sat open, ready for Molly to sit. Nor did they comment on the fact that both Emilia and Xander were sitting at the top of the stairs, just out of sight of the room below, easily within hearing distance. Hermione took a breath, "Harriet is just fine..."

"Where is she, Hermione?" Molly growled and Harry sighed, closing his eyes.

"I believe, last time I checked, that she was sleeping up in Sirius' room," Hermione said serenely and took a sip of her tea.

Molly's eyes became wide as saucers, she looked to Dumbledore, who was leaned forward, selecting from a selection of biscuits on the tray and then back to Hermione. He sat up, munching on a frosted chocolate biscuit and sat back with two more in his hand. "These are excellent, Hermione, where do you get them..."

Hermione smiled, "Oh, Winky makes them, Panka loves them, along with Em and Sirius, so we have a bunch around here, I am sure that she would be glad to show the recipe to the Hogwarts elves."

"Where is Sirius, then?" Molly asked flatly. She crossed her arms and looked down at Hermione.

Hermione cocked her head slightly and looked up and back, towards the ceiling. "I believe he's on the right side of the bed right now, but it's rather difficult to tell, actually..."

"I can not believe you, advocating such...you should be ashamed, letting them get away with such..." Molly spun to the stairs, took two steps and froze as if a spell had been cast as a voice from the past carried across the room.

"Actually, Molly," Luna's soft voice wafted across the room, "I told her to go to him...they seem to sleep better together and they were both rather knackered." Molly spun slowly, her face white. Ron slipped up behind Luna and wrapped his arms around her, and rested his chin on the top of her head. "Since Ronald and I raised her since she was born, I think that I am qualified say what she can and cannot 'get away with'." She looked to Harry and Hermione, and back to Molly, "And since I know that you can read, and I am rather sure that Hermione would have shown you my letter on the subject, I admit I am puzzled just why you seem determined to disregard Ronald's and my wishes on the disposition of my daughter."

"Hello, Mum," Ron said quietly. Molly's hands shook as she looked back to Ron. She started to take a step towards him and then another, and stopped as Ron raised one hand. "No, Mum...I've been away from here for half my life...we sent Harriet here, not to the Burrow, because we trusted Harry and Hermione with our daughter's life..." He stopped and looked up as a soft, murmured conversation came from somewhere up the stairs.

A beat later, Harriet slipped down the stairs, the fingers of her left hand intertwined almost painfully with Sirius' right. They stopped as they reached the bottom of the stairs and looked around slowly. Both of them looked as if they had been pulled bodily from bed, Harriet's hair hung messily around her head, and she blinked slowly as she looked to her parents, then to her grandmother and back. She turned her head and whispered something into Sirius' ear, he nodded, sending his hair flopping down over his eyes, and only increasing his resemblance to a ruffled owl.

Harriet dropped Sirius' hand and turned into him. She kissed him quickly, not noticing Molly's eyes as they narrowed, and stepped back, "Is there any supper left, Uncle Harry?" Harriet asked, almost as if Molly weren't in the room, as she started towards the kitchen. Harry nodded, and she gave him a smile, "Thanks for saving it from Daddy...he's a touch of a pig..."

"Oi," Ron muttered, grinning faintly. He kissed her cheek as Harriet passed, still ignoring Molly, though he could read the faint anger in Harriet's eyes. Sirius followed, his eyes still clouded slightly with sleep. Ron watched them pass through the swinging door, and then looked at his mother, "Why, Mum?" he asked, "I could understand it if, Merlin forbid, I had had Harriet go to Black's with Ginny, but this is Harry and Hermione...my God, woman, do you have a clue, what they had to do to keep us all safe..."

"I thought you had died, why didn't you let your own mother know, I..."

"Because it needed to stay a secret, and I was trying to not hurt you any more, if we could never get back," Ron said lowly, a speckle of moisture in his eyes. He took a breath and turned away. Luna paused a moment to give Molly a small glare, her anger at the Weasley matriarch breaking through her habitual detachment, "Mum...Luna and I will be along tomorrow to the Burrow...we'll bring Harriet along...but, I don't think that we'll be staying there." He took a breath and closed his eyes.

"I would appreciate it if you would leave now, Molly," Luna said quietly. Molly opened and closed her mouth, but started towards the door. She stepped outside, Harry leading her there without a word, and closed it behind her. A soft CRACK could be heard a beat later, and Dumbledore stood from his seat.

"I will be going as well, Harry, everyone." He looked to the Potters, "I am sorry that I did not hear of this maneuver before you had to deal with it." He looked at Ron, "Ronald, if you have time after you have settled in, I would like to discuss a matter with you, and perhaps you as well, Luna. Goodnight everyone, and I thank you for the offer of Winky sharing her recipe, Hermione." Dumbledore vanished without a sound. A moment later, Sirius and Harriet stepped from the kitchen; she was balancing a pair of plates and Sirius a pair of butterbeer bottles.

"Can we eat in here, Mum?" Sirius asked with a faint yawn. Harriet looked to Hermione as she nodded and waved them forward. The pair moved to the couch and slid down the front, sitting their food on the coffee table and sitting on the floor with their backs to the couch.

"Thanks, Aunt Hermione," Harriet said brightly as she snagged a piece of chicken from Sirius' plate and Ron snorted faintly in the background.

*************************Hogwarts*********************************

December 29, 2015
2:15 pm

"I feel that I must apologize for the actions of the Wizengamot the other night," Dumbledore said as Ron trailed him along the corridors of the school, that in one way or another, he had spent almost his whole life in. "While the judge who issued the order was not directly under my supervision, he was a member of the Wizengamot, and therefore my responsibility."

Ron shrugged, and started to reply, pausing as a Gryffindor fourth year walked past in jeans and a black, woolen Muggle coat, her house only recognizable by the knitted gold and red scarf around her neck. Puzzled, she stopped and looked at Ron for a long minute, before continuing on as she noticed the Headmaster. Footsteps faded away, "It is not your fault, Sir," Ron replied, "Mum just never wants to let go...It's hurt her before, we'll see if she gets the message this time."

Dumbledore nodded and smiled faintly, before touching the handle of a classroom door as they came upon it. The lock clicked, and Dumbledore pushed it open, walking forward without looking back to see if Ron had followed. "You may call me, Albus, Ronald," Dumbledore commented. Faint clicks of boot-heels on stone answered any question if Ron had followed.

Ron looked around automatically as he followed Dumbledore into the room, a room that had seemingly not changed since he had first experienced it twenty-four years ago, as a purple-turbaned Professor nervously twittered about something that Ron was busy tuning out. The dragon skeleton still hung overhead, along with several, currently empty, wrought-iron cages. At the far end of the room, a short spiraling staircase went up a level to the Professor's office, half-hidden behind an eight-foot-high blackboard on wheels.

Pausing to run his fingers along a battered, old wood student's table near the front, one that if he looked close enough he could still find the initials "HP, HG, RW", carved in one corner, Ron took a breath. "Why are we down here, S...Albus?"

A small grin passed behind the cover of Dumbledore's auburn beard, before the ancient, youngish wizard walked to a small shelf set to one side and idly examined a small Foe Glass. It was clear, not even a shadow darkening the misty image within, "In my time on this plane of existence," Dumbledore mused, "I find that if one problem arises, then often a solution presents itself, if only one knows where to look."

Ron had learned, with difficulty, but he had learned in the end-mostly through Luna or Hermione beating it into his head, occasionally literally-that often silence was the best solution. So, he waited, watching as Dumbledore nodded to himself, confirming some random fact in the wizard's convoluted mind. He waited a minute longer, "And what is the problem?"

"Aha," Dumbledore said, turning back to him, and lifting one finger, "yes..." His expression fell somewhat, "Grayson Harriman, was a dedicated professor..."

"Wait...He's dead?" Ron interjected, recognizing the name from conversations with his daughter, when she could be pried away from her new, black-haired, cuddly toy for a minute, about how much she liked school here so much more.

"No," Dumbledore reassured him, "He did, however, seem to have run afoul of a Manticore somewhere in Egypt over the holiday...It seems...suspicious, in light of the history of his position, but the Egyptian authorities seem to think there was no foul play involved. However, he has lost the use of one of his legs and an arm until St. Mungo's finishes regenerating them."

"That is terrible...Albus, but what does that have to do with me?"

Nodding, Dumbledore paced over and looked up at the dragon's skeleton, rocking on his heels as he held his arms behind his back, "Grayson was an excellent teacher, and an old friend of mine, but he was not particularly...experienced in the practical side of Defense Against the Dark Arts. He was always more of a theoretician, than an actual fighter, and he was not the most powerful of wizards. For instance, he has never been able to produce a corporal Patronus. In the past, despite the fact that the Dementors are still about, it was not as much of a concern...Now, with certain other signs and portents, it would seem an excellent skill to possess and pass on."

Dumbledore looked back to Ron, "And yes, I do know of Emilia and Sirius' group, but they are, for very understandable reasons, keeping their extra studies, to themselves and those they trust implicitly." He nodded, "I am sure that they have other secrets, ones that they feel compelled to hide from me, but I will not force them to reveal them to me, not any longer." He reached up to absently push glasses back up his nose and stopped with a faintly chagrined look as he remembered, once again, that he did not need to wear them yet, again.

"What does that have to do with me?" Ron asked bemusedly.

"That is the crux of the issue, is it not?" Dumbledore's ice-blue eyes twinkled madly, "I seem to have need of a Professor of the Dark Arts, and you have need of a job."

"But I..."

Dumbledore shook his head, "No...It has been the lot of this position, that it is either, often under the tutelage of those that are, shall we say, inexperienced in the subject matter, or those that should not hold it." A tiny shrug, almost invisible under his robes, "For all of your...youth, you are one of the more experienced in this field that exists today."

"I'm not Harry or Hermione, or you...not even close, I couldn't pretend-"

"Your students are not either, Ronald. With few exceptions, most of them are hard working, but do not have the advantages of a few, they will need proper instruction. They will need to learn how to defend themselves against the threats that are out there."

"The last kid that I taught, well Luna did as much as me, was Harriet." Ron closed his eyes, as if debating some inner secret, "And she is not...normal."

"While you are not your best friends, you are not exactly a weak wizard either, Ronald, remember, I saw your school records...You should be able to bridge the gap." Dumbledore sighed faintly, "And even beyond that, despite whatever misgivings that you may have towards me, I trust you, and history has proven, that I need to have someone in this position that I can trust, despite my own failings at choosing the candidates."

Ron sighed, "Do you really think that I can do this?"

"I would not have asked if I did not feel you could."

"Then I'll do it."

Wow, there's someone you wouldn't' have thought of as a Professor.

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30. Chapter 29: A Return to the Trenches

A/N: Look, you still can't kill me off, and I'm as delusional as ever. Unfortunately I own only a logical plot, interesting characters that are developed over time and some other stuff. The base universe isn't mine unfortunately. Thanks as usual to Lady Starlight for her work on this chapter, for it makes sense after her passage.

Chapter 29: A Return to the Trenches.
*********************Hogwarts Express, Scottish border***********************

January 2, 2016
2:00 pm

As had become usual for the ride, the compartment was filled to overflowing with students and Familiars. In fact, it was rather good that relationships had been finalized or at least admitted to since that first, disastrous train ride this school year, as it took away the self-inflicted separation that had existed between several of the occupants. Of course the slight expansion spell on the compartment helped, but the lack of space between most of them helped more.

Harriet snored softly, as she slept on Sirius' lap, her head leaning back against his shoulder. He was propped in a corner, against the window holding her tightly in his sleep, so as she could barely move. Not that she wanted to.

Emilia looked down, smiling slightly as she rubbed along Gaheris' back with one bare foot, Harriet's Familiar made a soft contented sound and rolled over on his back, exposing his belly to her attentions. She laughed as Xander laid down on the bench he and Emilia were occupying, dropped his head on her lap and lifted his arms. She pulled up his shirt and rubbed his belly. Xander kissed her leg and closed his eyes, settling down.

"I know that you are a large puppy," Rain said brightly, pausing to sigh appreciatively as Justin ran his fingertips along her side.

Emilia watched, crooking an eyebrow as her best friend's pupils elongated into cat-like slits, before Rain blinked rapidly, returning them to normal.

"But isn't that ridiculous?"

"Going into heat, luv?" Emilia replied for both of them.

Rain purred softly, leaning back into Justin as the younger Black pulled her back into him, his fingers pushing up her uniform shirt where she had yet to tuck it into her waistband. He started to rub her belly and smirked up at Emilia. Rain just grinned at her, and turned on the bench. Her eyes slowly changed, until the slits reappeared. Her skirt pushed up in the back as a black furred tail slipped out from under it, and twitched. The sides of her head, hidden under her raven's-wing locks, seemed to twitch, and a pair of cat's ears worked up from under her hair, her ears moving up until they were in the proper spots high on her head. Justin pulled her to his chest and kissed the top of her head between her ears.

"What if I were?" Rain replied, her voice slightly lower than normal, with a faint growl underlying her words. She stretched, before curling in a ball, mostly on Justin's lap. He summoned a blanket from the rack above Emilia's head, and spread it over Rain. She smiled, showing a trace of fang, and accepted a quick kiss from Justin. "He's mine..." Emilia crooked an eyebrow, and Rain closed her eyes contently, "It's not like I'm a Muggle, Em...hell, not even that long ago among my mother's people, I would have already been married." She slowly opened her eyes, "Just because you folks get your animal forms differently, you get to bury the urges more, I'm not hiding them anymore..."

Emilia let out a faint growl as her eyes changed, her eyes becoming slits, before she blinked them back, "So you are?" she let her eyes become unfocused, and answered her own question, "You are treading a thin line, Sis." Emilia said after a moment.

Rain concentrated for a breath, her features relaxing back into her normal countenance, her cat ears vanishing back under her hair, and the fangs retreating. She relaxed and snuggled her head back into his lap. "We aren't going to cross the line, yet, Em," Rain murmured, "It's not worth it..."

Justin absently brushed her hair back, revealing her once again human left ear, set with a pair of studs on the lobe, one ruby and one turquoise, and a silver ring high on the arch of the ear.

Emilia bit her lip and looked down at Xander, he kept his own council, at least to everyone else, before she looked back up at Rain. "Justin, you are sixteen in what?"

"I will be in a month or so," Justin replied, slightly defensively. "It's not like we are going to change our minds, anyway." He reached down and grabbed her hand, threading their fingers together, before he nodded over at the still sleeping Sirius and Harriet, "And how are we any different from them?" His eyes hardened, "It's not because of my dad, is it...I know that he caused your folks hell, but he's..."

"No, Justin," Emilia's face was slightly pained as she considered his comment. She looked over at Harriet and Sirius and then back to the other couple. "It's not...I'm just..." she shrugged, "I dunno..." She shook her head, and let a small smile fall onto her face, "Just don't make me an aunt for at least a few years."

"As long as you don't, sis," Rain replied laughing quietly as she met Emilia's eyes for a beat. Emilia gave her a knowing nod, and the tension, what little of it there had actually been vanished utterly. Both of them looked over as Harriet stirred on Sirius' lap, rolling slightly, but not moving away from him any more than was absolutely necessary and settled back down, tucking her head under his, and falling off to sleep again.

Emilia rolled her eyes at Rain, and looked down as she heard Xander start to snore quietly. She looked out the side window, and started to pet Hipper without even looking back as the black Kneazle settled in comfortably on Xander's belly. "They have half of the active forces out there today...just making sure."

"We won't get hit again, Em," Rain countered instantly, even as she unconsciously looked up and back towards her trunk and the hidden compartment that held her own weapons, weapons that had tasted blood years before she had ever thought they would, if even then. "They know better." She shrugged, "And it's not like Aunt Hermione and Uncle Harry don't have agents sweeping every place this train could be stopped."

A faint, tired look darkened Em's face, as she settled down on the seat, positioning Xander's head comfortably. "I know, but...I just want to get there."

*************************The Great Hall, Hogwarts**************************

January 2, 2016
8:10 pm

The Great Hall was filled with the low murmur of hundreds of conversations, of friends reconnecting after holidays, of lovers murmuring reassurances and sweet nothings, and of enemies plotting. The tables rapidly filled with students streaming in from the great main doors, stepping off the train and headed for, desperately in some cases, the sumptuous meal awaiting them.

Emilia smiled as she slipped in on Xander's arm, her head resting on his shoulder. He kissed her as she sat down, before dropping next to her, and taking her hand under the table. She squeezed it, and let her left hand rest on his leg under the table.

It's only eight, Em, Xander whispered, his eyes dancing as he looked over at her. Can't you hold on for a few more hours?

I'm better off than some, she returned, pointing with her thoughts towards Rain as she shared a rather prolonged kiss with Justin before leaving him at the Ravenclaw table and crossing the aisle to Lion country. Rain sat as Emilia looked back up towards the Head Table, I wonder where Harriman is?

Xander shrugged and poured himself a glass of juice, taking a quick sip as Dumbledore stepped to his podium and lifted his hands for silence. Unnoticed to the pair, during their side conversation and incessant flirting, the last of the students had arrived in the Great Hall from the train. A reluctant hush fell over the crowd, the students not wanting to give up their reunions for whatever minutia that Dumbledore felt he should share, it was most likely some complaint from Smythe about magic in the halls.

A rule that was obeyed in the breach more than it was actually followed.

Dumbledore smiled and nodded at the students, waiting as the last of them quieted. "Welcome back to another term at Hogwarts, I am sure that all of you look forward to diving deep into your studies...or at least the Quidditch season." A smattering of laughs. "However, as we are all not clairvoyant, I feel I should share a few reminders. First, due to recent lack of participation, the Gobstones Club will not meet this term until further notice, and due to conflicts with his schedule, Professor Black has advised me that the Potions laboratory will only be available for projects during the day or by appointment."

He looked over to his right, towards an empty seat next to McGonagall, "And finally," he added, looking back to the students, it is with much sadness, that I must announce the retirement of Professor Harriman." A soft, speculative murmur filled the hall, "Over the holidays, Professor Harriman, had a rather unfortunate run in with a rather disagreeable Manticore. Wishes for his speedy recovery can be sent to St. Mungo's care of the Albert Hellingstaff: Annoying Stings Ward."

A few students made notes but most just nodded.

Dumbledore looked towards the great doors, "However," he held one finger up, "I feel that the replacement that I have managed to procure will be acceptable to all, as he has had a great deal of experience with the more...practical aspect of the Defense Against the Dark Arts. Your new professor has been delayed somewhat, however..."

A sudden silence fell as a cloaked figure stepped into the hall, and started up the aisle between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables. Dumbledore smiled, watching as the newcomer moved briskly towards the Head Table, reached the end and climbed the short set of stairs to the raised platform. The wizard stood at the empty place setting as Dumbledore looked back to the students. The wizard reached up and lowered his hood...

"Daddy?" Harriet said quietly, her eyes widening, as she watched Ron slip his cloak from his broad shoulders to drape it over the back of his chair.

Dumbledore ignored the sudden consternation to wave with one hand towards Ron, "Professor Weasley, as many of you know, is rather experienced in this realm of study, and I feel that you all will be quite pleased with your classes."

Ron waved with one hand and nodded to the students, before dropping to his chair next to Minerva.

"Now, that that bit of necessary delay has passed, let us enjoy the feast that the Hogwarts elves have so graciously provided."

He sat and the four house tables erupted, particularly Gryffindor, as a dozen students turned to a slightly flustered Harriet as she leaned against Sirius, who was muttering something in her ear.

"No, I not know," Harriet said to the suddenly attentive table, her voice becoming more airy and relaxed as she went on, "however I am not sure about the rationality of this move...I am sure that Daddy will be excellent, though we are very near the limit of red hair in the school. I should really look into the matter, I think that I have the equation somewhere, I would hate to have to find that the wards had collapsed because of a sudden influx of Phlegons had eaten the foundation stones."

Rain snorted as Harriet nodded again, and looked away as she started to fill her and Sirius' plates, taking a goblet of juice from him without looking. Rolling her eyes, Rain shared a look with Em, who shrugged and returned to her conversation with Anna on plans for the DA. Rain sighed, and dropped her head to her palms, mouthing, "I love you," to Justin as he looked across from the Ravenclaw table.

************************Somewhere above the Artic Circle********************

January 3, 2016

"She has returned to Hogwarts, my Lord," Xavier Hamilton announced as he and the Dark One walked along a set of frozen ramparts, their steps rapping softly off the flagstones. "We will be ready to extract her when the time is right."

"Has your daughter fulfilled her task?"

Xavier watched as the faceless hood turned to him, they stopped and looked out over an expanse of ice, at a Dragon as three Death Eaters inexpertly handled it. Roaring, it snapped forward as one approached too close, and the crunch of bones carried up to the battlements. Xavier turned away, "She works on it, sire...she reports that she has an ally, one that will help keep the status quo."

"Make sure that she does, it would be...unfortunate if we had to proceed with the more unpleasant option. For her as well. Remind her that the rewards for my service are great, as are the consequences for incompetence." Xavier nodded slowly. "Very well then, move forward with the plan to remove the inconvenience, it will be easier if the field is cleared for our return."

Xavier fell silent, not meeting his Lord's eyes, "There is a problem, Sire." A dark, threatening silence. "Kendal is refusing the assignment."

"Did you remind him of the consequences to his actions? That he and his stand to undergo if he does not support us?"

"Yes, Sire, however he feels that the target would prove too...ruinous for his coven. He...respectfully refuses."

"Very well, use the alternate plan...we will deal with his insolence later."

****************************Aberdeen, Scotland****************************

January 4, 2016
11:20 pm

How do you think the kids are dealing with Uncle Ron as a professor? Hermione whispered across the alley, towards a dark patch of night that seemed to drink the light from a nearby streetlamp as if it were water. She slowly walked down the old, tattered cobblestone street, adding a slight saunter to her walk as she pulled the collar of her fake fur coat around her throat, and stopped.

Harry shrugged invisibly, I doubt that it's phasing them one way or another. He snorted silently at something, as he watched Hermione pull at the hem of her white fur coat, that hung at her mid-thigh, somewhere below the skirt that the coat hid from view.

Why am I always the one freezing her arse off in an entirely too short skirt on a dark street in the middle of winter? She pouted slightly and stomped her foot towards the shadow that he was in, before she started walking again. Hermione turned away slightly as a car slowed down. It sped back up, and she sighed, looking down at her feet as they stepped over something in on the trash-strewn sidewalk.

Bullocks, Harry replied, You have at least half a dozen skirts that short; you share them with your daughter, Hermione. He grinned invisibly, And besides, you have much better legs than mine.

I'm glad you noticed. Hermione paused, as a dark shape stepped out onto the street from a dimly-lit alley and started down the street, headed towards her. She frowned and sighed silently, I got him; she growled and slowly started to saunter towards the newcomer. She looked over as another walker started towards the man, and she suddenly had an urge to be elsewhere.

I'm sorry.

You should be...you'll have to make it up to me.

As long as you wear those boots.

Hermione hid a grin as she looked down, unconsciously, at the form-fitting black leather boots that reached her knees, before she looked up at the stranger reached her, "Lonely tonight, luv?" she asked brightly, letting her coat gap open to show the tight white shirt and skirt that barely reached past her bum in the back, and occasionally showed a flash of white as she moved. "Would you like a bit of...company?"

The stranger smiled slowly, letting his eyes pan down her body, and never letting them rise above her throat. "I think that would be brilliant," he replied, "why don't you follow me up to my flat, and we can see if we can keep each other company." He motioned towards a door several trash-strewn steps up from the street.

Hermione smiled and nodded, preceding him towards the door. She did hide a shiver as she felt his eyes on her arse, as she stepped up the slightly uneven stairs.

A shadow detached from the deeper shadows down the street and started towards them, his feet making no noise on the street, and every eye seeming to turn away as he stalked towards the doorway where the stranger unlocked the door with a large, brass key and ushered Hermione inside with a hand on the small of her back.

The shadow's hands clenched at his sides as the door closed behind Hermione, with a faint snap.

A few moments later, Hermione looked back, smiling faintly, as she stood in the living room of a basement apartment. The apartment was in much better repair than the outside might have indicated. A long, soft leather couch filled one wall, sitting in front of a wall-sized plasma screen displaying a random moiré pattern. Thick, soft carpet cushioned her feet as she slowly looked around the room, noting a tall, floor-to-ceiling set of bookshelves, with several quite old volumes filling them, including a, if she was right, a possibly first edition Alice Through the Looking Glass that Hermione rather thought might be worth the building.

"Why don't you make yourself comfortable, luv?" he asked in a soft voice, and she shuddered as a faint tremor of something raced down her spine.

"Alright," Hermione replied with a shiver that was not at all faked, looking across the room.

The tall man from the street, who in the soft light provided by several candles and a single table lamp across the room, looked rather too pale for his hair that was, if possible, even darker than Harry's, smiled at her and slowly crossed the room. Stepping up behind her, he slipped the coat from her shoulders and tossed it onto the couch. He let his hands slip up and down her arms, as he leaned close to her ear, bending down from an advantage of several inches over Hermione's relatively small frame. "Why don't you take off those boots, we wouldn't want them to get in the way..." The voice held a soft command, somehow booking no dispute.

Hermione just smiled, her eyes slightly glazed as she bent at the waist as he stepped back. The rear of her skirt slipped up, exposing the majority of a set of tiny white silk knickers, and she slowly started to unzip the side of her boots, first the left and then the right, stepping out of them to languidly straighten, a good two inches shorter than before. Her feet sunk in the carpet almost to the tops of her feet as she slowly looked back over her shoulder.

She gasped as she found glinting fangs and glowing eyes meeting her gaze. He flitted across the room and slammed her against the wall, holding her back against the wall with seemingly only the pressure of his hand on her throat. "Wha...wha..." Hermione whimpered, "D...don't hurt me..."

"It won't hurt much," he replied as he let his other hand run along her side.

"Not her, anyway," a quiet baritone, replete with dark promise said from somewhere in the room.

The vampire turned, and froze, his hand slowly slipping from Hermione's throat, as he found a pair of round lenses glowing from the light of the twin emerald eyes that they aided, under a shaggy mop of wind-tossed black hair. "Oh. Bloody. Fuck...."

Any further exposition was lost as he flew backwards through the air, smashing into the plasma screen in a shower of sparks. He looked across, and finally recognized Hermione, as she smiled and padded over to him on bare feet as he bounded back to his.

A fist flashed towards her face, and passed it as she leaned slightly to the side, and reached up, pivoting on her heel and flinging him to the side, sending him tumbling back through the air to crash upside down onto the couch.

"Honestly, Erig..." she said as he flipped backwards off the couch.

He darted to the door, his body leaving a faint after image only to crash backwards again.

Harry stood in the door, his arms crossed as Erig Secundus forced his way to his feet and hissed at Harry like a cat.

The vampire went utterly silent as an icy whisper of silver pricked his throat, and a trail of cool blood slid down his neck. "Done?" Hermione whispered as her hand darted up
and tangled in his hair, jerking him down to his knees, with her dagger still at his throat. "Because, we are about to stop playing."

He nodded and Hermione stepped away, wiping the tip of her blade on his clothes as she passed to stand next to Harry. She spun on her heel and resheathed her dagger behind her back in a briefly-visible sheath.

"What do you want?" Erig snapped.

"Acting affronted is rather presumptuous, don't you think," Hermione growled, "after all, if I had been the Muggle bird you thought I was..." She rolled her eyes as he slowly sidled towards a still-intact end table with a closed, small drawer.

Suddenly, he dove towards the table suddenly only to have a ball of blue fire snap past his shoulder, vaporizing the table and whatever weapon he had in there, in a white flash, and he looked back towards the Potters to find Hermione casually bouncing a glowing blue ball of plasma in her hand.

"Done?"

He sighed heavily and nodded.

"Excellent," Hermione closed her hand around the energy ball, reabsorbing it. "Tell us about who orchestrated the attack on the train..."

"What?" he sputtered, as his already pale face went whiter, and he seemed to try to gather himself for another charge. "That was..."

"We know that someone is in country, someone powerful," Hermione said very quietly as she stalked over to stand to one side, and let her hand fall to a wand that appeared on her thigh. She slowly pushed up the hem of her skirt to rest her hand on the carved, vine grip of her old friend, and held his eyes until he looked away to just not meet Harry's gaze.

"Ask Deirdre," he replied instantly, "I don't know anything."

"That's interesting," Harry spoke up, "because we were told to speak to you."

"We know that you-arrange-things for the community," Hermione added as she walked over to where her boots sat abandoned on the floor, picked them up, and continued onto the couch. She dropped onto the couch and started to pull them back on, "We know that you supply blood, weapons, drugs, alcohol...pets, to some of the, shall we say, more eccentric members. If you don't know, then you know who does."

He frowned, and glanced between them quickly. A calculating look filled his eyes, "What is there in it for me...if I knew something, that is?"

Hermione looked up and back at Harry, sharing a quick eye roll. "My husband won't decapitate you, that's basically what's in it for you."

Harry let his right hand dangle down next to his leg, and a silver bar of steel seemed to grow from nowhere.

"Now who is the new player in town, all of you are too reticent to talk for it to be a minor, nobody."

"If I tell you, then you will let me go?"

Neither of the Potters said a word.

He sighed, "There is a...major Vampire in country, an elder that is in conflict with many of the others."

"We know all that," Hermione said impatiently. "Now tell us what we don't know."

"He is in direct conflict with the council, rumors say that they tried to keep the children of several of his coven along with the cubs of his beholden...Rumor says he decapitated one of the elders and ran, though I don't quite believe that myself. He's supposed to have cut a deal with a few of the Eater remnants. "

"Who?"

"Not sure, I've never been outside of England, and despite what you might think, we don't all know each other." He looked away, considering something, "I did arrange something for a group that might have been with him last fall..." Hermione crooked an eyebrow. "Not that, you think I'm daft, No one, in my...community handled that train attack, in fact I know a few out of Bristol that were approached to do some prep work for it, that told them to go to hell, rather took stones considering it was that Bella bitch."

"Did you at least meet this vampire?" Harry growled.

"No, only met someone working for him, some huge bloke named Lucian, could smell the were on him a mile off. He arranged for blood and meat, that's it, odd it was, they insisted that all the blood and meat be cow or pig, or from a blood bank. Even when I told them we could get...volunteers." He looked between them again. "So can I go?"

"To the Ministry," Harry replied flatly, "we never promised otherwise."

Erig roared and sprung at Hermione, only to catch the back of her heel and be driven half through the drywall across the room. Her eyes glowed brightly as she took several deep breaths and wobbled slightly on her feet.

Harry looked up at her, from where he crouched next to the fallen vampire, and finished restraining his hands and feet with silver shackles. You alright, Mione? he whispered tenderly.

She shook her head as she wrapped her arms around herself, I think I'm starting to channel Luna...this place...this...thing, I think I'm going to be sick, Harry.

Go home, Mione, I'll be along in a bit.

She nodded and walked over to him, gathering her coat on the way. She leaned up and kissed him quickly, leaning into him for a long moment before she vanished silently.

Harry sighed, and closed his eyes for a moment, before reaching into a pocket of his long coat and pulling his mirror. He flipped it open, "I need a trash pickup." Two minutes later, as he watched the vampire start to stir, and he fingered his sword, a quiet ripping sound filled his head as a Ministry Ward Breaker crushed the substandard wards surrounding the building, and four Wizards appeared out of nothing in the trashed room.

Wendel looked over at Harry, as he waved the tech he had brought with him, to start searching. "I got this, Harry."

"Alright," Harry replied, he looked down, "send this piece of shit to the lockup, I doubt anyone will try to break his arse out. I'm going home, don't call us until next Saturday." Wendel nodded as Harry shook his head on final time and vanished.

*************************Godric's Hollow*********************************

January 5, 2016
12:25 pm

Hermione shook slightly as she reappeared in the cozy bedroom at the Hollow, and wrapped her arms around herself. She looked over at a soft sound to find Winky looking back at her, as the elf set a pile of folded laundry on a chair for Harry or Hermione to finish putting away.

"Would Mi...Hermione like a nightcap?" Winky asked softly, as she looked up at Hermione from the floor. She frowned faintly and looked around the room, looking for something, possibly some toy Panka had abandoned, and then back up at Hermione.

"No, Winky, I'm ok, I'll see you tomorrow."

Winky nodded and vanished with a faint POP.

Hermione took a breath and bent down, undoing her boots and tossing them at her closet, upsetting the clothes that Winky had just set next to there, but not caring really as she walked to her dresser and set her wand and sheathed daggers on top. With another shake of her head she reached down and back, unhooking her skirt and letting it fall to the floor, before skinning out of her knickers as well.

She dropped her shirt to the floor as she walked back to the bed and crawled in it, sitting with her back up against the headboard and drawing her knees up to her chest. A blanket floated up from the foot of the bed to wrap around her shoulders.

Brown eyes looked up from behind a loose curtain of curls as Harry returned with a whisper of displaced air. She blinked slowly as he toed off his boots and sat on the bed next to her. Hermione crawled into his lap without a word, wrapping both of her arms around him as she hid her face in his throat.

Harry reached around and pulled the blanket back around his wife.

I don't want Em to have to do this, Harry...Come home and feel like burning her clothes cause some piece of dragon dung soiled them...

He'll not do anything, Mione...

You locked him up...you should have immolated him. She snuggled closer, as if she was trying to burrow under his skin, I just want to go to sleep, Harry.

He kissed the top of her head, Whatever you want, Love. Harry gently picked her up, and set her down on the bed, and drew the covers over her. He slid out of bed, as Hermione rolled over on her side, watching him as he undressed and headed to the bathroom. She stared at the doorway as the sound of running water reached her ears and then cut off.

The almost habitual heated look that filled her eyes as she watched him stalk back to her, softened slightly as she took in, once again, the faint scars that crossed his body, light lines against the slightly darker skin. She held the covers up for him to slide in, and then moved over as he laid on his back next to her, draping her body half over his, as she rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

Better, Mione?

She nodded without lifting her head, Yeah, I'm good right here. After another moment of silence, she wiggled in place, and kissed his neck, I'm tired of reacting, Harry, I want to go after them, it's just so frustrating. And it's bloody Tonks' turn in the barrel next time.

I know, and we'll take pictures...lots of pictures next time Tonks is on the street.

Hermione smiled, Cool, she needs to freeze her arse off for a change...It sucks that we didn't really learn anything.

We got a name.

Yeah, I suppose, though honestly, I'm not sure how much that name will actually help, I know of at least three weres on the watch list with that first name, and there are probably a few more. A silent yawn, Night, Harry, love you.

Night, Love, Harry replied, even though she was already asleep. The ceiling did not answer any of his silent inquiries as he stared up at it past the occasional random chestnut curl. It'll be alright, Mione, I promise.

********************************Hogwarts********************************

7:55 am

A vague, happy smile filled Harriet's face as she watched Sirius walk away with Justin, Virginia and Kris, the four fifth years headed for Transfiguration. He turned at the corner and waved back at her, and caught the kiss she blew him, before he continued on at Virginia's urgent pull on his sleeve.

"You've got it bad," Rain told her smugly and pulled on the sleeve of her robe, to pull the redhead in the opposite direction, towards an appointment with Charms, and its diminutive professor.

Harriet looked over at her, "Yes, I suppose so...though he does snog superbly. He should be rather good in the sack in," he eyes lost focus, as she counted the days in her head, "in ninety-four days, that is."

"You have it counted to the day?" Rain snorted. Harriet just continued to look at her, and Rain giggled quietly, "Yeah, only twenty-seven for me."

"I hate Em," both girls muttered feelingly and laughed at each other. The hall gradually became crowded as more and more students headed to classes, ready, or at least resigned to starting the day. Harriet paused as she dug into her bag, looking for an errant tube of gloss.

"Congratulations," a female voice said lowly and Harriet looked up to find Naomi leaning against the wall ahead of her and Rain, directly in their path to the Charms classroom. "I know when I am beaten," she added with a small, idle smile, "I'm sure that you two will be happy."

Rain bristled for Harriet as Harriet returned the smile, "Thank you, Naomi," Harriet said, and started forward. "We will be." Naomi nodded and took a step towards them, headed back towards the Great Hall, when her loose uniform shoe caught on something and she stumbled forward, catching herself on Harriet.

A sudden, sharp sting came from the back of Harriet's head as Naomi staggered in passing and a ring on her hand caught in Harriet's hair. "Oh, I am soo sorry." Naomi looked up as a distant chime came through the castle, a warning chime to get to class. "I need to get to Herbology." She half ran around the corner, vanishing from sight, and Rain looked to Harriet with a shrug.

"What the hell was that all about?" Rain asked rhetorically, and Harriet shrugged as she grabbed Rain's hand to pull her into motion, and the pair sprinted towards Charms, just as Flitwick appeared at the door with a faint frown on his face and a pocket watch in his hand.

"Sorry, Professor," they chorused, and slipped past him into the Charms classroom, moving to the front where they dropped into seats on Emilia's left side, Xander was already writing down something from the board on her right.

"What the hell took you two so long, get lost?" Emilia whispered, as Flitwick walked towards the front of the classroom, the click of his cane carrying throughout the large classroom.

"We had a run in with Naomi," Rain explained. She shrugged as Emilia turned to them, "I have no idea, she was congratulating Harriet."

"That's just..."

"I would like to start class now, Miss Potter," Flitwick said from near the table as he passed, and Emilia instantly looked forward sheepishly, nodding to him. He shook his head and walked towards the head of the class, even as Emilia was busy writing a note that read, "We will talk about this later."

A/N: There you go, we're back post the Book of Pandering, and to misquote Trelawney, "Stronger and more Powerful than Ever. Before anyone asks, I have yet to read the book, I know what supposedly passes for a plot, so I'm not in a great hurry to get to it. I have better things to do with 4-5 hours of my time. Next chapter, a plot to crush a heart, a mysterious affair and possibly sexually suggestive actions.

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31. Chapter 30: Misdirection of Intent

A/N: Ok, here we go. Maybe Harriet shouldn't have relaxed so much...Just so you know, this chapter and the next two all earn the NC-17 rating... Thanks as usual to Lady Starlight for her gracious work on this chapter.

Chapter 30: Misdirection of Intent
*****************************Near Bristol*********************************

January 11, 2016
1:25 am

What do you have? Harry whispered as he looked across a stretch of dark, abandoned rooftops towards an empty patch of air. A light snow was falling from steel-grey clouds, slowly adding to the already several-inch accumulation under foot.

The snow seemed to slow abruptly on the bit of empty air he was looking towards. Flakes that seemingly were held up of their own accord, suddenly fell off, a faint, unuttered sigh filled the back of his head. I have four vamps, the same number of weres, and six wizards around the perimeter...of course any of the vamps or weres could be magic users, it's hard to tell at this distance, Hermione replied quietly.

You alright, Mione? Harry whispered back and felt a shrug in return.

I'm cold, Harry. She smirked slightly, And horny, what are you going to do about it? She gasped silently, as a sudden rush filled her body. An invisible footprint appeared in the snow as she staggered forward, before it vanished just as fast. Damn it, Harry...you are sooo paying for that when we get home.

Gladly, Harry whispered back and she grinned, and the snowflakes dusting the shoulders and hood of her infiltration suit suddenly fell to the ground as she Apparated over the fifty yards of rooftops, broken by a ten yard gap between buildings, separating them. A brief, unnoticed sparkle bloomed as he wrapped his arm around her waist, as the suits adjusted to each other, and pulled her in close. What do you think? he asked, his demeanor changing in an instant.

Hermione nibbled on her lower lip thoughtfully, I don't know. Erig eventually gave this meet up, though he didn't fight too hard about it. But still, it's not him involved directly, only a 'friend'...

Invisibly, Hermione blinked in an odd one, two, one pattern and a field of colored dot overlaid her vision as the spellware of the suit took the feed from the encrypted locator spells on the other six agents spread out around the perimeter of the dark warehouse they were overlooking and displayed it for her. She frowned as red dots faded into existence, showing the various hostiles visible, with only a blank green box representing the warehouse, that they had been told that a transfer of stolen whole blood and other necessities was taking place in.

"Any, Bookworm," Hermione subvocalized, the communication mirrors picking up the murmur through a flat disc adhering to her throat, "Can we get someone inside the wards?"

A pause, "Negative, Bookworm," a deep male voice replied, and Hermione closed her eyes as for a moment, it reminded her of Kingsley, lost in the siege of the Ministry years ago, "I don't have anyone here, that I think can do it."

"Wait one," she replied. My turn, Love, she whispered and with a squeeze of Harry's hand she was gone. Distantly, Harry followed the faint trace of her presence in his mind, muted but not hidden as a thin, nearly invisible Acromantula silk line shot across the gap between this building and the one under surveillance. Hermione reached up and scampered down the line, moving quickly but without undue haste as she crossed to the other building, not wanting to risk Apparating across the wards.

Harry sighed in relief as her feet touched the other rooftop, and she slipped away, towards a dingy skylight set fifteen feet from the edge of the roof.

Hermione reached into a pouch riding her thigh and a thin, dark colored string emerged, the latest generation of Extendable Ear and Eyeball. She pressed the soft bead at the end to the dirty glass, and suddenly the room far below appeared in front of her, projected semi-transparently onto the back of the suit's goggles. Several, tinny voices filled her ears as she looked down on the heads of the dozen or so occupants of the room.

A large, wrapped pallet sat next to a table, that as Hermione watched, one of the darkly suited people moved toward and placed a flat, silver disc on it, and tapped it with a wand. A swirl of color bloomed next to it and the pallet vanished, as the crates stretched into to and snapped away. The vortex closed with a snap, and the wizard walked back over to an odd grouping. A tall, dark-haired man dressed in a Muggle suit that cost at least five thousand pounds was surrounded by three females, a pair of brunettes and a slightly smaller blonde, all dressed in dark leather pants under dark red silk blouses. Hermione muttered something under her breath as she recognized one of the brunettes, Harry...

Yeah, I noticed, he whispered in the back of her mind, as he watched what she was seeing through her eyes, Kendal, Sarah and Olga, I presume, along with the unlamented Clarissa...And that were next to them is most likely the Lucian bloke that we heard about. They both watched as the blonde moved closer to Kendal, and nuzzled at his neck, before she broke away with a cat-like hiss as another pair of newcomers stepped into view of Hermione's sensor.

Hello, Crendle, Harry said darkly as the balding man stopped just out of easy striking distance of the vampires, and the wizard with him nervously fingered a wand. A pair of guards, both armed with Muggle subguns moved in and out of view, mirroring their Death Eater counterparts.

"I am still unconvinced of your place in this endeavor," Kendal remarked lightly as his brides slowly took a few paces to each side, slowly moving in amongst Death Eaters that were obviously trying to hide their terror. "Clarissa," he said lovingly, as she started to run manicured blood-red nails down the front of a Death Eaters throat, "what did I tell you about playing with your food?"

The other two vampiresses giggled as she looked back, pouting, "Don't...it's not polite."

Kendal nodded and the trio of vampires paced back over to stand next to him, each of them lightly touching him in some way. He leaned over and kissed Clarissa's pale temple before he looked back to Crendle, who by now, was almost quivering. "As I was saying earlier, I will not throw away my brethren on the whims of your mistress. If she wants to kill them, she can do it herself."

"You do not want to make yourself our enemy, Kendal," Crendle snapped, as ten Death Eaters faded into view from under Concealment Charms. They all raised wands towards the four vampires and Lucian, who let loose a quiet growl, as his eyes became black pools.

The moment was broken as the sudden chatter of a subgun filled the air. "Henderson is down," an almost panicked voice cried over the mirror link, and Hermione rolled away from the window just before two of the vampires looked straight up. The quartet started to back away, Lucian pushing them behind him, as Hermione looked straight across to Harry.

"GO!" he snapped and vanished.

Hermione took a breath and rolled sharply to her right, her eyes flaring to life as she called her powers to her, even as she crashed through the skylight. She faded back into view in midair as her active powers overwhelmed the suit's abilities, and landed in the midst of a shower of glass in a half crouch.

She spun to the right as a green jet snapped at her, and snapped back a glowing blue ball of plasma. Flipping sideways, she dodged under a pair of desperately-aimed cutting curses, and snapped her wand sideways, sending a purple wave out to cut a pair of Death Eaters off at the ankles.

She grunted as a steel fist crashed into her leg and bounced off, as the built-in Shielding Charms took a Bludgeoning Curse and diffused it. A brownish jet snapped back, and another target crashed to the floor, even as the door to her right exploded into splinters that showered down around her.

Harry stepped through the doorway, his sword dripping, and MOVED, spinning to the right as a lycan raised a pulse rifle. The line of silver darts shattered the stained wood behind where his head had been a moment earlier. Harry vanished and reappeared next to the were, and sliced up and right, and dodged to the side just as a head and shoulder tumbled to the filthy concrete floor just ahead of the half-transformed body. He gathered himself as the looked towards the far end of the building, just in time to watch a Portkey bloom and vanish, taking away Kendal and his harem.

A beat later, Harry felt the odd, twisting sensation as anti-Portkey wards took affect, just a heartbeat too slowly. FUCK, he snapped and spun to the side out of a pair of curses, and snapped a pair of Stunners back in return, sending a wizard tumbling to the ground to spasm uncontrollably.

Harry...

Yeah, Love, he replied distractedly as he reached out with his magic, tagging the eight remaining Death Eaters and four lycans to a span of inches.

The wizards are yours; Hermione said as she sheathed her wand on her thigh and drew the pistol riding just behind it. She reached out, her magic intertwining more closely with Harry, and nodded, once.

Time seemed to stretch as she rolled out from cover and the pistol coughed four times, the rounds flaring silver-white as they struck a pair of lycans, sending the silver nitrate loads deep into their bodies. They fell away, shaking in their death throes, even as a wave of fire crashed over her head, sending three dark wizards and a witch halfway through an inner wall.

A dark spreading hole appeared in the forehead of another lycan as if with a thought, and Hermione pivoted right, taking the last one in the throat letting her pistol drop away as her wand leapt to her hand and she spun away into nothingness.

Three Reductor bolts shattered the crates immediately behind where she had just been as Harry stepped from the air, sending a pair of silver lines crashing back, to vaporize fist-sized holes through dark robes. A flick of a hand sent another through a window into the night beyond and all was suddenly quiet.

Behind a large, ten-foot-high pile of crates marked as containing an assortment of toys, Crendle Jacobson shook, his wand held next to his sweating brow in trembling fingers. He started to move, and froze as the very tip of a wand bore in on the soft spot behind his right ear. "Hello, Crendle," Hermione's voice said from nowhere and a red flash lit the dim room.

A sweaty, tightly plaited head of chestnut hair appeared a beat later, followed by the rest of her, as the skintight suit faded into view. She looked over, as Harry joined her in visibility, pausing to kiss her cheek as he passed, headed back outdoors to check on the rest. Hermione sat on a crate, and half-unzipped the top of the suit, letting the fastener fall down far enough to partially display the scar marking her chest.

Harry gave her a tired smile a minute later as he returned, stunned Cradle again for good measure, and sat down next to her on the crate. Her head flopped over onto his shoulder automatically, and just her eyes cut upward towards his, What happened, Harry?

A sigh. Henderson...tripped over one of the Lycans that had stepped into an alley to take a piss...She hit him with a ripper, just as he got her with a burst...her armor caught some of it, but she took a hit a round through her side. She's already PK'ed to St. Mungo's.

Hermione looked down at the Death Eater, and cocked her head as she was reminded of another, We got...one.

No, I stunned another other there...if he lives. .

Shit.

Yeah.

Bullocks. She looked up, her eyes hard as she watched the remainder of the perimeter team move in through the door. A couple of them met her eyes sheepishly, as they fanned out without a word to her or Harry and started to examine the wreckage, biological and inorganic of the night's revelry.

Hermione slowly stood and flung out a hand, summoning the still slightly twitching Death Eater that Harry had stunned possibly a hair too much and dropped the body unceremoniously on top of Crendle. "Juliet," Hermione called and a young Auror with straight brown hair hanging down over her back looked over, "We are going to take these two back to the Ministry, I assume that you have this in hand?"

She glanced over at a blonde wizard her age, "Yes, Ma'am, we do."

"Brilliant," Hermione said without a trace of sarcasm.

Harry finished placing a silver sphere on the pair and stood. Instantly, it grew tentacles that knotted tightly around the pair of Death Eaters, flashed blue twice and yanked them away through time and space to a cell deep below the Ministry. Harry reached over and took her hand, pausing to interlace their fingers and flicked them away after the pair, vanishing them from the ruins of the warehouse without a sound.

That is until the remaining Aurors let loose one continual breath, that they had not been cognizant of holding. Harry, Remus, Tonks, all of them were known for having a talent, when the occasion warranted it, for administering highly accurate verbal recountings of ones failures since the time you left Hogwarts.

Hermione's tended to go back, when she was properly motivated, to the time your father's sperm met your mother's egg.

***********************Godric's Hollow******************************

4:35 am.

Soft, warm rain fell down on Hermione as she stood limply in the huge, black marble shower set in her master suite. The room had been copied nearly exactly from the expansive bathroom that her and Harry had shared during that last desperate year at Hogwarts. A huge, matching black marble tub sat next to the shower, with a dozen colored taps around it, and Hermione often enjoyed a long bath, but tonight she was half asleep under the gentle omni-directional spray of the shower.

She took a long breath and leaned forward to let her forehead rest on the cool, glassy stone of the walls, and sighed. Her hair hung wetly in a nearly straight, nearly black curtain down her back almost to her waist. She didn't look up as she heard the frosted sliding glass door slip open behind her and close once more.

Smiling, she felt his eyes on her, a nearly tangible, warm feeling as his gaze slowly passed up and down her body. She licked her lips as he slid up behind her and wrapped one arm around her belly. He didn't tell us anything did he? she whispered tiredly as Harry started to rub her belly just below her navel.

No. He brushed aside her hair with his nose to allow him access to her neck, The usual Fidelius and brain fry combination, Bella doesn't trust anyone, I guess. He's a vegetable now.

Hermione nodded and let her head fall back onto his shoulder. Harry slowly let his fingertips stroke down her right side, tracing each rib and the side of her breast before passing down her hipbone and onto the outside of her thigh. She hissed loudly and he let his eyes trace down to examine the long black and blue bruise along one quadriceps.

Are you alight, Mione?

I'm fine, baby, she breathed back, another louder gasp followed as magic literally sparkled from his fingertips and the bruise faded as if it were a week old instead of only three hours. She took a deep breath, and worked her bum back as she spooned into him, idly moving her rear until he groaned in her ear.

I don't want to talk work, Harry muttered and she nodded once, even as brown eyes darkened, almost going black before lighting from within with an emerald light as his fingertips slowly traced over the top of her thigh. She shivered and let her legs fall open slightly as the very tips of his fingers slid up the slick skin of her inner thigh and started to trace over her lower lips.

Her breathing hitched as a single finger slid slowly home, then after a slight knowing pause, a second, and started to move in and out causing her hips to start to rock back into his legs and forward again. D...damn, she whispered and her breathing started to race, as his fingers started to move in her faster.

Hermione let one hand come up and back from the wall, leaving the other to support her as she turned her head and kissed him, before her neck seemed to loose the ability to hold her head upright. A soft, whimpering mew started to slip from her lips, as she rocked harder, starting to buck into his hand, only to whimper louder as she found herself behind held back by his other hand on her hip.

Like that? he whispered and she nodded quickly without moving her head from his shoulder. A grin and he let his thumb start to explore higher, even as his fingers continued to move, starting to race to match her speeding pulse.

A soft moan that might be his name and Hermione shuddered as she felt her world start to swirl and dance as colored lights bloomed behind closed lids. Her legs started to tremble as she bucked against his hand, and cried out once more as she convulsed backwards, her entire body quivering like a taught bowstring before collapsing back into his arms as she crashed.

Hey, she 'heard' a minute later as he continued to stoke her lightly, easing her back down to a more normal plane of existence, you still in there? he laughed, and she nodded once, eventually, before she managed to find enough energy to raise her lips to his, sucking in his tongue before she let her head drop away.

"I think I'll k...keep you," she whispered as she slowly turned around in his arms and leaned up to kiss him once more.

"I'm sure our children will appreciate that," Harry replied, kissing her nose, as he reached up to brush her wet bangs from her eyes. He paused and watched beads of water collect on dark eyelashes, before they slowly fell away, slipping down her face to join thin streams trickling down her neck and between her breasts. "I love you, you know."

She worried her lower lip, and just nodded, even as she took his hands in hers and walked them backwards until her back touched the cool marble. Looking down she watched as her hand slowly wrapped around him and started to move up and down, causing a faint grunt at each end. She gave him a squeeze and looked back up into his eyes, which were glowing faintly to match hers, though it did not matter really, as she used the contact to hold him in place as she licked her lips.

She let go and threw both arms around his neck, jumping upwards at the same time to end with her legs wrapped around his waist, trusting him to catch her without a flicker of a doubt. Harry pushed her back, using the wall to hold her up as she reached down and under her bum with one hand and grabbed him again before she lifted herself higher and positioned him before sinking back down with a long, drawn-out sigh.

Emerald-glowing eyes fluttered closed as she tightened her arms around his neck and held on as he started to drive up into her, causing her to lift several inches and fall along the smooth wall with a soft squeak with every thrust.

Harry groaned as she started to nibble along his neck, and using her arms to boost herself higher with each move before settling down hard. He groaned her name, the word becoming a soft, continuous mantra, as she ground her core into him at the bottom, sending a spike of fire along both sets of nerves.

Hermione whimpered, nearly crying, as each bounce touched her already burning core to his, grinding into him, before she gained a second's respite, only to have her nerves overloaded once more.

Speeding up further as Hermione's nerves started to overlay his own, his vision narrowing only to her face as she grabbed his hair and pulled him back to her, kissing him almost desperately as she slipped her tongue home, letting it move in a gentle counterpoint to his movements into her.

A slow roiling boil started to build once more in her belly, just above where they were joined, and Hermione gasped, "Oh...God...Harrry." She shook her head, hard, flinging water from her eyes and kissed him again, as she fought to try to move even closer, fighting to meet him before she lost touch with reality once more.

"M...Miiooneeee," he sputtered, as his back tightened, even as he felt his mind slipping forward, tangling around the bright star that ruled his life. She forced her eyes open, meeting his and he felt himself vanish into her as the familiar sensation of his soul joining with hers pulled him away from his body.

Distantly, a soft cry of a phoenix filled their minds as his muscles tightened further, his legs started to shake, I'm...

Please, she whispered and he let go as if commanded, bucking irregularly into her and filling her with a new welcome warmth, that was somehow much, much warmer than the water still falling on her head. She followed a heartbeat later, as the wave of fire racing along his nerves crashed through her body, tripping her over the edge to convulse frantically around him, milking him for several long, heart-stopping moments. She fell around him; resting her head on top of his she wrapped her arms around him even tighter, pulling his head into her chest as they both panted heavily, the warm water still falling down in soft sheets over them both.

Stroking soaked black locks; Hermione slowly came back to herself, feeling it as Harry's pulse slowed in time with hers, beat for beat, and breath for breath until her faded vision returned. With nearly the last of her strength, she lifted herself off him to slide down his front to the tile floor of the shower. She swayed on her feet and leaned forward into him, resting for another moment, before taking his hand without a word and leading him from the shower.

It shut off behind them as they passed through a warm, tingling field, mostly drying them, and leaving only their hair damp. She slipped through the door to the bedroom, and crawled into bed, not bothering with the covers as Harry dropped next to her.

Hermione rolled into him and yawned tiredly, her eyes barely keeping open as Harry traced his fingers down her side. She yawned again and looked up into his eyes, Thank you, Harry.

At your service, M'lady, Harry replied and kissed the top of her head, waiting as she worked her legs between his to settle her entire weight on him, like a soft warm blanket.

She yawned again, as she slowly started to drift away, letting her mind wrap closely into his once more, before kissed his throat, letting her lips read his pulse, and slid off into sleep without a word.

*****************************Hogwarts***********************************
January 11, 2016
4:30 pm

Em tossed her hair back absently, blinking as she fought it out of her eyes and looked over at her brother, who was nose deep into an article in the Quibbler. She rolled her eyes as she reached over to grab him, pulling him out of the way just in time to miss a colliding with a rampant pack of second years, intent on getting to the Great Hall, where the newest sensation, Professor Weasley, was giving a demonstration, along with Professor Flitwick, on defensive dueling.

Ron, after he had settled into his new job, had found himself the object of admiration for dozens of young girls. Much to his consternation, they had been known to express, loudly, their admiration for his...dreamy good looks as they sat in front seats in his class, ones that they had often fought for.

Emilia's mother found it rather hilarious for some reason.

"What are you so bloody interested in?" Emilia asked; shaking her head as Sirius almost ran into a suit of armor.

"Harriet gave it to me," Sirius muttered and held up a copy of the Quibbler. He blushed slightly as he tilted the cover slightly to show a heading stating, "The Youngest Potter, Our Newest Hero?"

A picture of him blinking up from the cover greeted his sister and she laughed loudly. "Since when are you believing your press?"

He shrugged, "I'm not, Harriet liked the picture...the article is actually pretty good, talks about Mum and Dad...correctly for once."

"Well it is the Quibbler," Emilia replied with a shrug. She frowned as she heard something, and stopped as she turned towards a hallway. "Did you hear Harriet?" she asked, frowning, "didn't she say that she was going to go take a nap?"

"Yeah," Sirius replied slowly, even as he heard a breathy laugh come from the corridor that Emilia was looking towards, a laugh that he had heard last night right before they finally forced themselves apart to return to their beds. He looked up as Emilia gasped quietly and jumped backwards out of sight, and grabbing onto him.

"Um, Sirius," she whispered, fisting her hand in his robes and keeping him from looking around the corner. A flicker of power lit her eyes, and faded with a sigh as he pulled away from her, to step around the corner.

He bit off a sharp breath as he found Harriet, pressed closely against Will Arnold, a seventh-year Hufflepuff boy, with dark hair and light blue eyes, eyes that he had been known to use to make sure that his bed was not cool on weekends. Her shirt was untucked, half covering up the red-trimmed school skirt she was wearing and her tie was loosened to the top of her breasts, matching the three or four undone buttons.

A soft giggle escaped her, as his lips descended to her neck, and Sirius watched as a hand vanished under her shirt. "Will," she breathed, her gasp just loud enough to carry, as his other hand slipped down, slowly running up her leg and pushing up her skirt on the side facing Sirius and Emilia.

"Sirius," Emilia whispered, her face white.

He took a deep breath and shook his head, stepping backwards out of sight in the hall, with his sister following him.

A faint smirk danced under grey eyes as Harriet looked over out of the corner of her eye and returned her attentions to the attentive Hufflepuff. She took his hand and led him off, down the corridor in the opposite direction from where Sirius and Emilia were still covering.

"Siri-"

Sirius shook his head, cutting her off as he turned in the direction of Gryffindor Tower, nearly breaking into a sprint. Smythe yelled at them as they streaked past, taking the moving steps two at a time as they climbed towards the seventh-floor entrance of the tower.

He barely paused to give the password and slipped into the room before the painting could even halfway open. The Common Room was deserted as he dropped onto the tattered couch closest to the fireplace and sighed, dropping his glasses beside him on the seat as he scrubbed at suddenly tired eyes.

Emilia slowly sank into a seat across from him, shaking slightly as she thought back to what she had seen, "Sirius, I..." She froze as a soft sound came from the girls' stairs and she snapped her head up to find Harriet slipping down them barefoot, in battered jeans at least two sizes too large for her that were threatening to slip off her hips and a dark grey Gryffindor team sweatshirt, that Emilia knew was Sirius', as were the jeans.

"What the bloody hell were you thinking?" she snapped at the redhead, causing Harriet, who had been on a beeline for the still silent Sirius to look up at her with a befuddled, exhausted expression.

"That I sleep better next to Sirius," Harriet answered almost matter-of-factly, except for the yawn interspersed with her words. She continued on to drop next to Sirius, and he wrapped an arm around her automatically, before she slid down to rest her head on his lap.

"I meant snogging that jackarse Arnold," Emilia growled, and glared up at Sirius, "Aren't you going to say anything? You are her boyfriend."

Harriet sat up abruptly and tears bloomed in her eyes, "Sirius..."

He shook his head and reached over, grabbing her, and with a faint grunt, pulled her into his lap. He kissed her forehead, before cradling her head against his shoulder, "Em's an idiot, love," he murmured in her ear before looking back up at his sister. "She's been here the whole time, Emilia, I'd thank you not to accuse her of something she did not do."

"But..."

"Did you bother to feel for her, Em?" Sirius asked with a raised eyebrow, and Emilia paled suddenly, and slowly shook her head.

"Merlin, Sirius...Harriet, I'm sorry...but why did we just sprint the entire length of the bloody castle, if you knew she was up here?"

"I was afraid that it was something to get to her," Sirius replied softly, as he let a hand slip up under the hem of Harriet's sweatshirt to rub along her side. He smirked slightly, and met Em's eyes, "Besides, she makes different noises than that..."

Emilia looked away, as Harriet turned puzzled eyes up to Sirius', "What, Sirius, what happened..."

"Someone that looked like you was snogging Will Arnold in the corridor leading from Charms," Emilia replied, looking between the two as Harriet slipped down to return her head to his lap.

"Oh, that wasn't me," Harriet said, waving one hand idly in the air, before tucking both of them under her ear, and turned on her side to look at Em. Sirius frowned, as he started to twist a ruby lock around one finger, only to let a faint smile fall over his lips, as Harriet kissed his leg, before continuing on, "I don't have enough power yet to project physically, I'd have to borrow some from Sirius, but then I'd be in contact with him, and I wouldn't need to borrow it as I could just snog him...Arnold's squicky, why would I want to snog him? Sirius is most excellent."

Emilia didn't answer as Harriet snuggled down further, pulling one hand out from under her head to grab onto Sirius' free hand. Nor did she notice the whitening of the redhead's knuckles as she closed her eyes, hiding the dark thoughts that dwelled there, hidden behind a lie of detachment that had been propagated for at least two generations of Lovegood women.

"I...I'm sorry, Sirius," Emilia apologized, as Harriet appeared to go to sleep, her breathing relaxing, as Sirius' hand slipped down, her side to rub the patch of skin at her hip, revealed by, at least from his perspective, rather cooperative clothing. "I should have known...It must have been-"

"Yeah," Sirius replied before her thought finished, "She and I are going to have a little talk..." He glanced down, as Harriet mumbled something in her sleep, shaking slightly before she calmed at his touch once more. "She's not been sleeping," he mentioned, "something's trying to tell her something and won't cooperate."

"I didn't know," Emilia replied, looking back up at her brother.

"How would you?" he replied tiredly, "You don't sleep in your room anymore. It's alright, Em, I understand, believe me, I do, but-"

Emilia stood slowly, looking towards the boys' stairs, "I'm going to go find Xander."

Sirius nodded as Emilia left, moving silently up the stairs, and pausing at the top to watch as he bent down and kissed Harriet's hair over one ear.

*****************************London************************************

January 12, 2016
4:10 am

Nymphadora Tonks whistled under her breath as she stepped through a gaping hole in the wall of an otherwise nondescript office building and into an open atrium, which was currently lit by several brightly glowing orbs hovering near the ceiling. An Auror looked at her oddly, taking in the combat boots and camouflage pants under a cut off Witches with Attitudes T-shirt and a black armored Dragonhide jacket. She flashed a badge at him, and he paled slightly as he realized whom he was glaring at. She paid him no mind as she stepped to the large fountain sitting in the center under a glass ceiling.

A single corpse, in the nondescript robes of a typical Ministry worker floated face down in the water, stained red with his blood. Someone had thoughtfully turned off the fountain, probably one of the response team, as they investigated, though any chance that the unknown had had was long gone along with the majority of his life's blood, if the color of the water had anything to do with it.

A Muggle security guard was sitting on a bench over to one side, the befuddled expression on his face indicative of someone under a Confundus Charm. He took a cup of coffee someone gave him and immediately slumped to the side.

"Take care of him," Tonks ordered absently to the Auror who had passed the drugged coffee, before she knelt next to the fountain.

"Who is this bloke?" she asked after watching the body float back and forth for a minute. She glanced over to the side, to the tech on call, "Any clue?"

Anabeth Ortiez, the field tech on call for tonight, shook her head, "Not yet, Tonks, we just now got all the preliminary stuff done, it took the first responders ten minutes to get that guy subdued. Kept screaming about monsters and devils." She shrugged, "A Tuesday morning, for us."

"Yeah," Tonks muttered and reached into a pocket of her armored jacket, one that she had just started wearing again, and pulled out a pair of purple nitrile gloves and pulled them on, before she reached behind her back and drew her wand. She got a nod from the tech and flicked it slowly turning over the body.

A gasp came from next to her as the body was revealed. The face was...gone, and the tips of his fingers looked burned away.

"Know him?" Tonks asked.

"No" Anabeth replied, a touch green. "Prints are gone...magically erased as was his face. We tried a quick DNA print, no joy, someone used a low-level Displacement Curse to scramble all of it...we might be able to get something from the bone marrow, that sometimes is safe, but that might take a month with the backlog like it is in the lab."

Tonks frowned and leaned forward, using one hand on the rim of the fountain to keep from falling into the stained water as she used her other gloved hand to dig through his robe pockets. "No wallet, or money pouch...Did you guys find a wand?"

"Yeah," Anabeth held up a clear plastic bag with a snapped birch rod in it. "Found it near the gap in the wall. Core's gone, so we can't print it to him, as it's one of those cheap generic imports anyway. His wound's from a spell, even though it looks like a were bite. They tried to disguise the spell traces, but we got a bit of side band off the rubble, where it must had brushed it on the way past."

Tonks nodded and straightened, peeling off her gloves and dropping them into a bag sitting next to the tech. "Send the report to me in the morning. I don't know why you called one of us in. I'm going to get home, and try to get back to sleep."

Anabeth shook her head and stood, leading Tonks over to the wall near the shattered hole in the wall. A thin sheet of brick dust fell down as she placed her hand on the edge of the bricks, and flicked her wand at another spot. A small green skull with a snake slithering in and out of the mouth glowed faintly as she blew the dust from it.

Tonks muttered something most unladylike, and looked back towards the corpse. "Exactly what did they want with him?" she mused, as she huddled in her jacket, suddenly ice cold in a breeze that seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere. "Work this place up, see if you can lift enough trace to find out who was here, though I doubt it from how far they went to cover it up."

The technician nodded as Tonks sighed once more and spun, vanishing between breaths with a faint POP, of displaced air.

*******************************Hogwarts*********************************

7:45 pm

Sirius muttered a long, complicated oath under his breath in a dead language, and closed the book before him with a loud thump. His OWLs were only four months away, and while certain subjects such as Defense, Transfiguration and Charms seemed to be, and probably were almost inherited along with his eyes and hair, there were others he needed to study.

In particular, Divination was proving a particular chore. It was not that he did not get the principles, especially since his girlfriend and her mother were both seers of a type, at least, but that the professor that Dumbledore had found, was useless. The Ministry required the class be taught, but not that competent instruction be found.

He scrubbed at his eyes, having cast his glasses to the scarred table, and sighed, leaning his head back to stare up at the vaulted ceiling, twenty feet or so away. He yawned and closed his eyes, smiling faintly as a whispered presence danced in, literally, behind him from the main part of the library.

For the most part, he spent his time at Hogwarts relatively closed up, holding his magic and senses close, though the person approaching held his attention at any time. The soft pressure of another pair of lips on his interrupted his musings a second later and he reached up to cup the back of a familiar head.

His eyes opened as the kiss broke, and Harriet moved around him to perch on the edge of the table facing him. She crossed her legs and swung them idly, smirking slightly as Sirius' eyes fell to the bare expanse of her thigh exposed between the hem of her skirt and her knee-high socks.

He forced his eyes upward, to meet hers.

She shrugged, "You can look at them all you want, Sirius."

"I...I don't want you to think that I only..."

She shook her head and leaned forward from the table, to softly kiss his nose. "I'd never think that, Sirius...though," she moved to the chair next to him, scooting it over until her leg pressed on his, not at all lightly, "I'm glad that you do think I'm nice to look at...even though I'm not."

"You are," he argued quietly, and she gave him a small smile in return, and turned to her books.

"Let's study," she said, not replying to his comment, as she pulled a thick copy of Peering into the Future from the pile on the table in front of her and opened it. She let her head flop over to the side, to rest on his shoulder, but reading at obtuse angles was inherited along with her eyes. "Now, what you have to remember, Sirius, is that what the book says, what they tell you to study is not what I do..."

In their involvement in each other, neither noticed a book slam back into place in the stacks, and a witch leave in a swirl of a blue-trimmed skirt and brown hair.

"Why not, I mean you..."

Harriet sighed, "The Ministry teaches charlatanism, while balls might give you a limited view of the future, leaves, cards...they are just guesses. They might as well be Muggles in a fair somewhere."

"Then why..."

She smiled faintly and looked up and back at him.

He just nodded. A separate thought came over his face, "Where are Em and the rest, I thought they were coming?"

Harriet looked up and to the right, a small, vague looking falling over her eyes, "Oh, I am sure that Em is...she's just not here."

Sirius looked green as Harriet flipped a page, and pointed at a diagram, "Let's go over the common tea leaf patterns, shall we?" she asked as if her comment had been about the snow falling outside.

*****************************Room of Requirement*************************

8:35pm

Emilia smiled and pushed back a strand of sweat-logged hair, as she idly twirled her sword around her fist, slowly pacing to the left around Xander as he stood in the middle of the room on the exact center of thick red mats. He held a long, bastard sword lightly in front of him in both hands, slowly turning to keep her in view at all times.

She slowly placed one bare foot in front of each other as she moved, each tread utterly precise. "You know, there is something..." she blurred forward and her sword whistled as it cut the air at his head, was blocked with a clang. She spun back to her left, sweeping her blade at his legs, only to watch him jump over the infinitely sharp steel.

Emilia hopped backwards to resume her previous place. She started to circle once more, smirking as she followed Xander's eyes to the damp vee of skin at her throat, the top four buttons of her blouse undone and the white fabric sticking to her skin. She licked her lips slowly, and watched as brown eyes flickered totally black for an instant and scanned down her body, at the short, pleated uniform skirt that ended a good six inches above her knees, and flared up as she moved quickly to occasionally expose a bright red patch of silk.

"See something you like, Love?" she murmured, just loud enough for him to hear across the three paces separating them. She continued to move, well within the distance that training showed, that an attacker with a blade or unarmed, could strike before the average Auror could draw his wand and fire a spell. Of course that did not apply to either of them.

Xander shrugged and let a soft, tuneless whistle slip through his teeth, "I dunno, I've seen better."

He dove to the side, as a wave of force shot at him, scattering books from the shelves lining the walls behind him that the room had manifested as they entered. Xander blocked a strike from her sword from the floor and pushed up and back into a somersault that ended with him on his feet.

Smiling crookedly, Emilia snorted and took a step backwards, flicking her sword through a butterfly twist, which was showy, and mostly useless against one opponent. She watched as his eyes slowly faded back to brown, and she looked around the room and back to him, not really having to look at him to know where he was at all times. "And exactly who are you referring to, Mr. Lupin?"

"Well, Mrs. Lupin," he responded, waving one hand in the air as he used the other to flicker his sword about. Ignoring her mocked laughter, he mimed thinking, "Rain is looking rather hot these days, and Harriet has a great pair of legs...And there is always Maraisah, she's always looking for a bit of entertainment."

Emilia licked her lips once more, "If you really want to catch something, be my guest." She took a deep breath and watched as his eyes fell once more, "Though your bed will be rather cold in the winter." She paused as he slowly forced his eyes upward, to meet hers, "And who ever said I was going to take your name, mine is rather more famous after all, perhaps you should take mine."

"I could," he grunted and leapt forward, swinging at her head.

She leaned back without moving her feet, to watch the blade pass over her nose.

Xander's blade shot back to the right, only to taste only air, as she flipped sideways, landing in a half spilt, with one hand splayed on the ground in front of her, and the second holding her sword inverted back along her arm. "But wouldn't that be a little pretentious?"

Emilia pushed back upright, and rolled her head on her neck, "Shall we play, then," she tossed her sword to one side, where it hovered in midair and then shot over to drop neatly into a rack on the wall. She reached down, and drew her wand from the dragonhide sheath riding her thigh.

Xander nodded and flung his sword away at the wall, it shot over and jabbed into the wood of the bookcase, and he looked back to her, as it still quivered in place.

"Nice."

"I try," His wand filled his hand from nowhere, and he took a step back, his wand tracking up towards Emilia.

A yellowish ball of fire tore from his wand without warning, and Emilia slashed hers downward, just as the fire reached her. The fireball splashed off her shield, and she flicked hers sideways, sending a purple spiral back, even as she dove to the right, and waved her left hand at him.

Stone tendrils grew from the floor, entangling his legs. He spun his wand in a circle, and a shimmering cone surrounded him, which froze instantly into a cone of ice. It bulged outward and shattered, the shards flying past Emilia as she spun away into invisibility.

Night black eyes narrowed as he darted to the side, and waved his wand through a complicated pass. A soft snow started to fall from the ceiling, and started to collect on the red mats. He slowly looked around, his wand tracking with his eyes. He smirked faintly as a patch of snow to his left seemed to fall fractionally slower than the rest.

Xander dove forward to the floor, twisting in mid air to fling a red Stunner bolt towards the patch, as another shot past his ear.

Emilia faded into view, and closed her free hand into a fist. Instantly, the snow stopped, and a beat later, the remaining snow vanished. Her eyes flickered as she seemed to vanish, and reappear next to him. Her foot snapped up and around, and he flew backwards to crash into the wall, only to remain upright as a smaller body, at least as strong as his, pressed him inexorably into the stone wall behind him.

Emilia panted quietly, looking at him from a distance of only a few inches as she pressed Xander against the wall with her own body, her wand at his throat.

Glancing down, his eyes were fully black, and sharp canines extending past his lip.

One, then the other wand dropped to the floor beneath them, rolling away, as if guided, and she pressed him further, "Xander," she murmured, her eyes dropping to his neck, watching the pulse beat there.

He nodded fitfully, his nostrils flaring as her scent filled them.

"You know that I'm taking your name, right?"

"Yeah," a soft growl, filled his words, sending shivers down her spine, "I figured."

"Good," a susurration. Her hands slipped down to press flat to his chest, and a light tingle raced back up her nerves, as she let her eyes rise back to his and her world swirled forward, and she gasped as a second set of nerves fill her own. Her fingers fluttered on his chest, lifting and falling as he slowly caught his breath. "I didn't want there to be a doubt."

He cupped her cheek, his thumb lightly stroking her cheekbone, "There wasn't, Em." His other hand slowly slipped down, trailing down her neck to the top of her chest, pushing back the damp cotton of her shirt, trembling slightly as she overloaded his senses. He looked down as her fingers fell to the bottom of his shirt, working under it, as she pushed forward, trapping his hand between them.

She nodded once, jerkily, her own nostrils flared and her pupils became ovals for an instant, even as they lit from the outside in. Her leg worked between his, and she sighed very softly as she felt him respond to her through the several layers of fabric separating them. Emilia's head tilted back as she lifted on her toes to meet his lips, groaning as she let her lips fall open, and her eyes fluttered closed, partially masking the greenish glow from within.

Em...

Sussh...she slowly stepped back from him, reaching back behind her, and flicking a hidden catch. Her skirt slid to the floor, to pool around her ankles. She stepped out of it, languidly finishing unbuttoning her shirt, her eyes never leaving his. It fell away from her with a small shrug, only to have her bright red bra follow it to the floor.

Twisting fingers into the thin side straps of her matching knickers, she slowly slid them down her hips, bending forward at the waist to slide them all the way to the floor, and folding double in the process. She rolled upright, her eyes boring into his, even as she felt his heart start to race...matching hers beat for beat.

A soft pile of blankets and cushions appeared on the mats at her feet with a snap of light and she sank to her knees, looking up at him, as she crooked one finger at him. Come here, Xander.

10:15 pm

Harriet 's eyes were focused in the middle distance, neither seeing her path nor the dim corridor stretching out before her as she slowly moved towards Gryffindor Tower, a warm fire, and the companionship of a black-haired Chaser. He had left her twenty or so minutes ago, to go along with Bob and Dan to look over something or other for DADA. She had not really been paying attention at the time, other than to return Sirius' goodbye kiss.

She had become, more and more as she got older, adept at moving without seeing her surroundings consciously, as occasional views of events not quite here filled her mind. Of course, if she needed, she could focus on her surroundings, usually. Focusing the glimpses into a corner of her mind, a talent that many seers did not share, in fact there were very few seer lines that could do so, her mother and grandmother among them. It was the reason that such talents were actively recruited for government service, as many, not that the talent was actually common, of the available seers could barely remember to feed themselves at times, let alone engage in the moment-to-moment interactions of combat and other active endeavors.

Having a vision controlling her, at the same time a Death Eater decided to pop off a Kedavra, would not be the best for her continued existence after all.

The focus, not that many thought it was such, had a drawback in the end, however. Very few people interacted with actual seers, as the majority never attended places like Hogwarts and did not know their real interactions. Their talents did not allow them to interact with others in a cognitive manner in many cases. From the onset of puberty, when it typically began, and typically for females, most were educated at home, or by specialists. However, if her or her mother held them back too long, they tended to try to fight their way to the surface as if to demand attention. It was the reason that both of them often just let their talents flow at a low level.

Harriet stopped and her hand shot out to brace her on the wall, as a brief flicker of an image, of a green-tinged night and of blood, filled her sight and vanished just as fast. The images had been getting stronger, as of late, but there was no true vision, and frankly, she doubted she would get one. Especially as the vision seemed to be entangled with her nightmare, of Sirius lying dead and looking up at her mournfully.

The dreams and visions had come more since the attack on the train. For a short time, after she and Sirius had admitted their feelings for each other, they had receded. No doubt due to the lessened burden on her mind, but now they seemed to have returned with a vengeance.

A spike of pain shot through her body, sending her tumbling to the ground. The world suddenly became sharply focused once more, as she pulled her focus tight by force of will, unconsciously drawing on a flicker of power, whose source she did not dare think about at the instant. She rolled away quickly, just as a red bolt snapped past her ear and blew a divot into the wall behind her.

She snap-kicked to her feet, and glared at the newcomer, whose wand tracked to her head...Harriet batted away another Stunner, and glared across the distance, as Naomi stepped from out of a small alcove, and started to slowly slide towards the redhead. Harriet frowned, "Please, Naomi, stop. There is no reason..."

"He is mine, I don't know how you did it; did you give him a potion? Use some odd power, what?" she snarled and slipped closer.

Harriet sighed and resheathed her wand, and stepped to the side. She pushed past Naomi, took one step, and let out a sharp yelp as a fist tangled in her ponytail and pulled her head back, and she crumpled as a small fist crashed into her kidney.

Harriet coughed in pain even as she rolled to the side, moving away from the foot that stomped for her chest. Harriet rolled again, avoiding another kick, before bounding back to her feet in one move.

Naomi growled and charged; punching at Harriet only to have her wild jab batted away.

Harriet took a breath, "What the bloody hell do you think you are doing?" She hopped backwards, avoiding a slap. She took another step back, and her back hit the wall. She grunted and Naomi managed to land an open handed slap.

"He's mine, bitch." Naomi punched at her again, only to miss and hit the impenetrable stones of the castle. She screamed in sudden pain and Harriet took a breath as she spun away from her.

"No, he's mine," Harriet reported, her eyes hardening. "He's mine," she snarled, as any trace of detachment fell away, "leave him the fuck alone."

"Shut up, slag," Naomi hissed and slapped at Harriet.

Harriet grabbed her arm and spun, flinging her into the wall, and letting out a muttered curse as she heard her shirt rip as the other girl flew past, her arms flailing. Harriet glanced down for a second, finding that most of the buttons on her school blouse had been ripped open.

She tumbled backwards into the floor in the next instant, as Naomi rebounded off the wall and tackled her. Naomi punched her in the gut, and Harriet grunted as the wind was knocked out of her. Naomi landed another punch, an inch above the first and Harriet snarled, rolling them both over and lifting up enough to snap an elbow across Naomi's jaw.

"He's mine, you whore," Harriet snapped, followed by a punch to Naomi's face. Blood polled under the other girl's left eye and Harriet rolled off her and to the side as Naomi swung back at her. Harriet waited as Naomi regained her feet, swung at her and missed as Harriet bobbed to the side.

Her right foot snapped out, collapsing Naomi's leg, and her jaw met a sharp uppercut, sending Naomi flying backwards into a suit of armor. "Leave Sirius alone, Naomi. I know what you tried to do."

Naomi started to push up on a bit of armor, it slipped away from under her hand and she crashed back to lie flat on the floor.

Harriet seemed to appear over her, "Leave him alone," Harriet said lowly, tapped her once with her foot, just hard enough to jolt her, "he's mine, I am going to marry him, have his children, and we will grow old together. Don't ever bother him again, or I won't be responsible for what happens."

Harriet spun on her heel and stalked off, wiping a trace of blood from a split lip, that she had gained somehow and did not so much as grimace as a spike of pain to show as she moved out of sight, holding her shirt together with one hand.

Naomi looked up as a female hand reached down and pulled her to her feet. She looked into a pair of blue eyes, framed under a neon-red shag as Maraisah slowly wiped a smear of blood away from her cheek with the pad of one thumb.

"We need to talk, Naomi," Maraisah said quietly, she pulled on Naomi's hand, leading her back in the direction of the Library, "Come on, let's get you fixed up."

Harriet was nearly shaking as she reached the Common Room minutes later, finding Sirius in conversation with Dan. Chastity was leaning back in his arms, following the conversation with tired eyes, obviously near nodding off to sleep.

Dan's mouth opened as Harriet approached at nearly a run, grabbed Sirius's hand and pulled him back towards the portrait hole, all without saying a word. He let her pull him along the corridor outside the tower; not bothering to mention that it was now after curfew. They moved along, dropping one floor and headed off down the sixth floor hallway.

She stopped in front of a seemingly blank stretch of wall, bordered by a pair of statues of griffins that turned and regarded them. Their glowing blue eyes went blank, and the statues became still once more. Harriet tightened her fingers in his and stepped into and through the wall, into a comfortable room filled with a battered overstuffed couch, a couple of half-filled bookshelves and a low table. A white fur rug sat before a softly blazing fire, providing the only light for this hidden study nook.

"Harriet?" Sirius asked finally, letting his confusion come forth.

Harriet shook her head and drew her wand briskly from its half-concealed holster. The tip of her wand lit with fire as she sketched a flaming protective pentagram in the air. The ward crashed into existence with a muffled boom and she let her wand drop from her hand to roll along the floor until it hit the foot of the couch.

She did not notice as she took his hand once more and pulled him to the rug in front of the fire, pulling him down to his knees on the soft rug, obviously underlayed with a thick cushioning charm.

"What's wrong, Harriet?"

"Transform," she whispered, and he crooked an eyebrow and complied without another word, transforming in place, his emerald eyes gaining cat pupils as she a tail slipped loose, his body elongated as his nose did as well. He stretched out on all fours, as his hands became paws, and in instant later, a green-eyed, night-black lion looked back at her. He laid down on the rug, looking up at her, for only a beat before she flopped down next to him, half transforming, her tufted ears slipping up from under her hair as a red and black striped tail emerged from under her skirt.

She kicked off her shoes and wrapped her arms around the huge predator, hiding her face in his fur and inhaling deeply. "I wish it was your birthday," she whispered, her left hand tangling and releasing in his mane, absently. "They are getting worse, Sirius," she finally said, "I don't know what's going to happen, but I'm scared...You won't let anyone get to me? Will you?"

A soft purr was her only response.

She nodded into his fur and closed her eyes, snuggling as close as she could as huge paws with three-inch claws tightened around her protectively.

A/N: There you go, Violence, 1 1/2 sex scenes, a cat fight...what else could you aske for...Next Chapter, which is also long, Questions answered, pledges made, research performed, and a bit of silk.

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32. Chapter 31: Rain's Promise

AN: As usual, I own nothing really. There is a touch of happiness in this chapter...Thanks as usual to Lady Starlight for her work on this chapter.

Chapter 31: Rain's Promise

******************************Hogwarts**********************************

January 20, 2016
8:30 pm

A sudden gale of wind rattled the leaded glass windows of the small observation balcony, set above the clock tower on the top floors of the Hospital Wing. Dumbledore's predecessor had added it to the ancient castle in the heady days after the destruction of Grindelwald, as a sign of rebuilding and growth. It went unnoticed, by most, even as its chimes announced the hour and dismissed classes during the day.

The balcony, with its enclosed windows and lovely view of the inner courtyard, would have been an ideal snogging site, if not for the annoying security wards placed on it long ago, keeping away any who would have wished to use the room for nefarious reasons.

Fortunately, for the current generation, at least those whose names happened to be Potter or their closest friends, there was a convenient, secret passage directly into the room, bypassing the heavily warded door.

Rain closed her eyes, leaning back into Justin as he nuzzled at her neck, stretching out the white lettering on her black t-shirt, reading: "Make me Purr".

He slowly pushed up the bottom, until the blue sapphire set in a gold ring in her navel caught the light from several candles scattered randomly about the room. Justin stroked her side, brushing her lower ribs, as she stared out the window into the darkness, frowning.

Rain sighed and pulled away.

Justin cocked his head slightly, "You wanted to come up here, Rain, I'm-"

Rain shook her head and looked back at him, giving him a faint smile, "No, honey, it's not you, I'm just a bit distracted." She pointed at the floor and waited as he sat down on the tartan blanket they had brought with them, along with a now mostly empty picnic basket. She flopped down on the wool fabric next to him and moved until her head was in his lap. Rain took his hand as he stoked her cheek, intertwining her fingers with his and resting their joined hands on her chest.

"You keep that up and I don't know if I can last until my birthday," Justin muttered, bending forward to kiss her quickly before he straightened up. "I damn near can't now..."

"Trust me," Rain smirked, "I know."

"Yeah, but you make less of a mess while waiting."

She snorted and nodded, "We'll work on that together very soon, Mr. Black." He smile faded away once more, "Justin?"

He nodded.

"Do you remember Christmas?" Rain nibbled on her lower lip, a habit that she had picked up somewhere or another, and watched as he thought back. A small, happy look filled his eyes, and he brushed back her long hair with his free hand, she pressed her cheek into his palm instinctively, "Do you remember all of it?"

He shrugged, "I remember that black nightie...You still have that, right?"

"I'll wear it for your birthday," she promised. "Seriously, Justin, I remember waking up in your bed, but I don't remember actually going there. I swear that I did, but now, I just don't."

"Why are you worried, Rain, I mean Mum and Dad found you there and didn't say anything, not even with what you were wearing..."

"Anna and Nate were shagging in the next room, I doubt they could have," Rain replied, "It just bothers me. I just can't remember that night."

"We just slept, Rain, I never would have--"

Rain sat up suddenly, spinning to kneel astride his lap, and kissed him. "I know that, Justin...It's just weird." She lowered herself to sit on his legs, dropping her head to his shoulder, and humorously enough, purring faintly as he rubbed his fingers in small circles at the small of her back. "It just bothers me."

January 21, 2016
3:25 pm

"I missed you, sis," Hermione remarked for perhaps the hundredth time since the Weasleys' return to this side of the Looking Glass, glancing over as she and Luna crunched through the snow along the lake. Neither of them were terribly inconvenienced by the cold, heavy winter that had set in on the Scottish Highlands, they were after all powerful witches, Warming Charms were more than within their repertoire.

Luna smiled back at her, grabbing and squeezing Hermione's gloved hand for moment, before letting it drop back away. "Me too," she admitted, shrugging, "I wish you could have been there."

"I wish you had let us come after you," Hermione retorted, before she stopped, looking out over the ice-encrusted lake, at the towers sitting hundreds of yards off shore, where years, and years, ago, a suitor had caused her to be stolen away under the cold waters. "But I understand why you insisted that we don't try."

Luna walked over to stop next to her, close enough for their shoulders to touch. She watched silently as a winter hare hopped along the edge of the lake, possibly looking for a bit of unfrozen water, before moving out of sight under a bush. "You know if you feed those Banglefrack root, they change into Inferi?"

"Zombie Bunnies?" Hermione snorted, "honestly, Luna-"

"It's true, I've seen the records, they are in Eustrian, and therefore I cannot read them, but it only makes sense, really."

Hermione licked her lips silently, "Sure, Luna, sure."

"It is so much nicer now that we don't disagree about these things," Luna commented lightly, and Hermione dropped her head to examine her shoes, before looking back up. Luna took a breath and the cheer vanished from her habitually light mien, her eyes sharpening as she took a step back from Hermione and waited as the brunette faced her. "Something's wrong, Hermione, "she announced very quietly," and I can't seem to get a real vision, at least not yet. But I'm more worried about Harriet, than me."

Hermione crooked an eyebrow, waiting as Luna thrust her hands into the pockets of her cloak.

"Has Sirius said anything about it to you?" Luna asked, a faint edge of what would be in anyone else, almost desperation in her voice. Hermione just slowly shook her head, and Luna moaned quietly, "She won't talk to me, Hermione, I know it has to be about this, she bloody well sat down and talked about shagging for an hour with me...so it can't be that." She closed her eyes for a beat, "She's exhausted in class, she even has half fallen asleep in Ron's class, her only saving grace is that she's so bright, that she doesn't really need to pay attention to the class most of the time."

"No, Luna," Hermione responded slowly, finally, "Though you could have spared me the bit about you talking to her about shagging, since it is my son that she will be experiencing that with...I am of the firm belief that my little boy will stay so, until he is at least a hundred and fifty."

It was Luna's turn to crook an eyebrow.

"Or at least until April, when I am just going to have Dobby permanently expand Sirius' closet to hold her clothes," Hermione added ruefully, and sighed. "You know that I'd tell you, or at least try to help her. She is mine too, Luna."

"Of course she is, we promised each other, didn't we," Luna stated before she looked back up towards the castle. "And to top that, Ron's got a bit of another problem."

"Ginny?"

Luna nodded, "She has barely spoken to him since we came back. She hasn't said anything about why, she's just never there when Ron tries to call, and she doesn't seem to be available if he tries to go over, always just leaving."

"Go at one am," Hermione remarked idly, "she should just be getting done shagging Ferret Boy." Hermione sighed, and scrubbed her eyes, "That's not really fair, Draco has proven himself, I guess, since the war, he's been strictly aboveboard, and he treats Ginny and the boys great. Hell, he regards Rain and Anna as his own daughters, as they will be in a few years anyway, I can't complain about him, or her for that matter. But for that matter, I don't know that I've had a conversation that lasted more than two minutes with either of them since September."

Luna looked down at her watch and laughed at something. "Come on," she said, grabbing Hermione's hand and pulling her along with her back towards the castle, "if we are quick, we can watch my son-in-law in Defense...see if he embarrasses Ron again."

"Oh Merlin," Hermione groaned, bemusedly letting Luna pull her along by her hand towards the castle, "what did he do now?"

"It's more that Ronald forgot that Sirius was Harry's son for an instant...he never noticed the Tail-Feathers Jinx that Sirius slipped in under a Stunner, Petrificus and a Flatulence Hex."

Hermione laughed and started to jog, dropping Luna's hand as she ran towards the open front doors, ignoring that bare tendril of memory of a night when those doors lay destroyed, and the prospect of everything riding on the tiniest sliver of a hope.

*****************************Somewhere in Norway************************

January 28, 2016

"We are almost ready for the summoning," Bellatrix whispered, as she lounged across a darkly-clad bed, her pale skin contrasting sharply with the black silk sheets. The blood-red silk robe she wore, shifted, revealing that she wore nothing under it as she looked up at the Dark Lord.

A small, brunette woman, perhaps twenty, was curled up on a small, furry cushion at the foot of the bed. She curled more tightly into herself, looking away from the Dark One as he looked to his mother and down to her. He knelt, and slowly started to stroke her bare back.

"Your new pet is rather-shy," he commented as he straightened, pulling the brunette to her feet.

She looked between Bella, and him, before swallowing and draping herself along him, and he laughed lowly before returning his attention to Bellatrix.

"This must not go wrong, we will have the opportunity to smash the fools, to shatter them for all time. We must have the girl, she is the key."

"We will," Bella replied, sitting up and draping her legs to one side, she took a breath and watched as the girl shivered, seemingly younger than she had appeared at first appearance, as the Dark One continued to run his long fingers along her side. "You will take your rightful place, as the leader of the Wizarding world, and I-"

"And you shall be restored to your place, Mother, your House restored from the usurpers, and only those worthy will be at our side." He looked down, "Come my dear, I feel that I need...entertainment."

The girl followed him mutely, her head down and her bare feet making no noise on the stone floors, as she strode through the door in his wake.

Bellatrix's mad laughter followed them down the corridor and into another room, guarded by an ebony door, inlaid with an emerald and diamond encrusted serpent. It closed behind the girl, cutting off all sound-from either side.

****************************Godric's Hollow******************************

9:25 pm

Harry slipped down the spiraling staircase from the upper floors of the house, and stepped out onto the padded stone floor of the workout center under the house. He padded barefoot across the red mats, headed directly for the potions lab set to one side of the large cavern.

He leaned against the doorway, looking into the brightly lit side cavern, at the modern glassware and brightly polished cauldrons set on a pair of polished-obsidian-topped worktables. A pair of glass-enclosed cabinets sat along one wall, quietly sucking away the vapors being generated from reactions going on in them.

Grinning faintly he walked up behind Hermione as she stirred a pale cerulean potion, set over a low, blue flame. Shimmering pinkish vapors rose into the air from it, as Harry wrapped his arms around her from behind, and lowered his lips to her neck, conveniently left bare by the twist her hair was piled in on the top of her head.

She sighed quietly as she dropped in a weighing boat full of powdered dragon claw. The potion hissed as the claw slowly dissolved, and Hermione let the empty plastic boat fall from her hands to the tabletop as she reached up and back, to tangle her fingers in his hair, holding his lips and teeth against her pulse.

Slumping in his arms, she shook slightly as Harry reached through the front of her open, stained labcoat to push up the hem of her shirt. Long fingers started to rub in small circles, just above the button of her loose, tattered jeans that were probably being held on by magic, and she let out a shuttered moan.

What are you doing? Harry sing-songed in her thoughts, sending a warm sensation cascading along her nerves as she shakily pushed back from the worktable.

Haarrryyy, Hermione groaned, reaching down to interlace her fingers with his. She rolled in his arms, her lab coat slipping from her shoulders to fall to the floor as she shook it from her arms, before she snuggled into his front and kissed his throat.

Harry reached up, pulling out the ivy-wood shaft that was holding her hair up. He slid it into her back pocket, before he slowly ran his fingers through her hair, pulling it down into waves that hung along her spine. Umm, Baby? he went on, even as his fingers slipped distractingly into the gap at the back of her jeans, stroking the top of her bum.

She closed faintly-glowing eyes, I was thinking--

He grinned, I don't believe it.

Prat, she gasped, and punched his stomach lightly, her small fist bouncing off his abs without any apparent damage. He nuzzled her ear in mute apology and she turned her head, rubbing his cheek with her nose before she kissed him, sighing into the kiss. I was inspired by Harriet... He crooked an eyebrow, and she shrugged, Just who said that we can only have one animagus form?

Two, huh?

Or three, four, she agreed, but two should work. I know why our primary form was a phoenix, but you and therefore I, are the Gryffindor clan chiefs.

So?

I'll try it next full moon, at worst it does nothing, at best I'll get another form, Hermione explained, spinning out of his arms and taking his hand leading him off back towards the stairs. She waved back towards the lab, extinguishing the lights with a wave. I'm tired, Love, lets go to bed.

It's only nine thirty, Mione.

Smirking, she turned back as they reached the stairs, and let her fingers trail lightly across his chest, I know, whatever will be get up to till it's time to go to sleep? She crooked an eyebrow and slowly faded from view, waving just as she vanished totally from sight. Well, are you coming, Harry? she breathed in his mind a heartbeat later, sending an image of her in the mirror flashing to his mind, as she peeled out of her jeans, ones that she had probably stolen from him to begin with.

Sighing theatrically, The things I do for you. He stepped into nothingness, leaving the cavern empty of any and all life, except Crookshanks as he padded out from one of the side passages looking rather content and licking his chops.

****************************Ministry of Magic*****************************

January 29, 2016
10:50 am

"This is foolish, Arthur," Tonks said tiredly in the vein of one talking to a particularly stubborn mule. Exasperation twisted her heart-shaped face, as she dropped petulantly into the leather couch sitting on one side of his refurbished office. She crossed her arms across her chest, winkling the animated front of the bright pink t-shirt she was wearing, causing the tiny witch riding a broom in and around a scaled image of Windsor Castle to shake a tiny fist up at her. She crossed her legs, causing her skirt to slip dangerously up her thighs, and glared up at him.

Dropping next to her, Hermione shrugged, and glanced over as Tonks' hair cycled psychedelically amongst a hundred shades, before settling down into an exact match of her shirt. Hermione looked back to Arthur, her eyes crossing Harry's helplessly on the way past as he leaned back against the door coming leading to the built-in loo. She glanced down, pulling the hem of her own shirt down to meet the waist of her jeans, before looking back up with a sigh, "We can't protect you, Arthur, this is exactly how Scrimgeour was assassinated."

Arthur looked down at the two women, seemingly ignoring the slightly glowering wizard in the side of the room, as Harry scrubbed at his eyes tiredly. "I can not hide in my office, Hermione," Arthur said, shrugging as he watched Hermione play with a loose thread on her jeans. "I have already accepted the foundation's invitation for the event, I told them that would give the address before Christmas, just because there are...rumors that the Death Eater remnants are getting restless again-"

"Restless?" Hermione replied disbelievingly, "They bloody well attacked Diagon Alley, with your granddaughter and Em...they attacked the train. Arthur-Bellatrix is out there, and she's wanting revenge, she's tried for the kids, she was probably involved in the attack on Mum and Dad...she'd love to put a Kedavra through your heart."

Harry nodded over to once side, not bothering to try to dissuade the Minister, his wife and de facto sister were doing well enough as it was.

"The Foundation for Interspecies Tolerance was partially your creation, the dedication of their extra-human care center is a watershed event in the evolution of the relations between vampires, werewolves, centaurs, all of the species that have historically been often at odds with wizard kind. There have been wars between our peoples, and the recent incidents...only to show that we should be working together, not at odds with each other."

Tonks stood suddenly pacing over to the window set to one side, one that currently was showing a recorded view of Arthur's various and sundry grandchildren, by blood or not, as they played around the lake at Godric's Hollow earlier this summer. Tracing her fingers lightly over her daughter, as the tiny girl padded up out of the water in a bright orange bikini, Tonks licked her lips, before looking back at Arthur, "What about them, Arthur...all of them, if they lose another one of you."

He smiled, "I have no choice, Tonks, we live and die by our reputations, and the Minister of Magic can not be seen cowering to terrorists, especially a Gryffindor like myself. I am not Cornelius, hiding within his denial of the truth, even as he hid behind his decrees and guards." Doffing his glasses, he started to polish them with a kerchief he took from the pocket of his robes; "I have every faith in your abilities, Tonks."

She spun on her heel, the black leather combat boots that she had chosen this morning to compliment the rest of her outfit, making loud thumps on the wood floor as she stomped over to the couch, and pulled Hermione to her feet. "Come on, Hermione, let's get lunch, that's alright, isn't it, boss? Let's go to Seamus'...I need a drink."

Hermione left, being towed away by Tonks as she dragged her away by the hand. She shot Harry a helpless look over her shoulder as the door closed behind her.

"They are right, Arthur," Harry remarked as the door closed behind the pair with a muffled thump. "Tonks is very good, as is Remus-"

"As are you and Hermione, Harry," Arthur interjected with a smile.

Harry shrugged, "I suppose, but even with that, Tonks, Remus, Hermione, I-hell even Dumbledore-we are much beater at offense, defense, especially at an event like that is damn near impossible, especially if they want you bad enough."

"I have lived a while, Harry, I have had a good life, but I refuse to hide, you should be the first to understand that."

"Yeah, I do..." Harry replied, shaking his head ruefully, "Just be careful, Arthur." He vanished without moving from his spot and Arthur snorted.

"Pot calling the kettle black, Harry?" Arthur asked the air as he crossed back to his desk and started to dig through the never-ending stack of paperwork that only seemed to grow, and grow, as if under some insidious spell.

*************************The Feisty Goat**********************************

11:45 am

Harry stepped into the dim interior of Seamus' pub and paused at the door to let his eyes adjust. Looking through the neon-lit interior, across the mostly empty room, he shook his head, as he found Hermione, Hermione, and a head of dirty blonde hair between them that was bent down as she pulled something from a small bag at her feet.

While The Feisty Goat would be packed in several hours, it seldom was for lunch, even though the house-elf that Seamus employed as a cook in the back was a truly excellent short order chef. During the day, the only ones that generally caught lunch here were the occasional wizard or witch, mostly friends of Seamus and Padma.

Harry slipped past the few lunchtime customers to stop at the corner booth. He looked slowly between the pair of Hermiones, as they reclined in the red leather booth, crossing their legs in identical short tartan skirts. A glint of green shimmered from under the hem of a short top on the one on the right as she took a deep breath, emphasizing a slice of tanned skin exposed by three unbuttoned buttons.

"You know, Harry," Luna breathed, her grey eyes shimmering as she looked over a tall glass of a faintly glowing green liquid that smoked ominously, "If you have sex on a broom, you will have a girl...it's in the Quibbler."

"I'm sure," Harry replied as he lifted up the Hermione on the right and sat down, sitting her half on his lap. He kissed her neck and she laughed out loud as the other Hermione scowled and slowly changed, her hair shortening and straightening as it lightened to a bright blue color.

Tonks remained in the outfit as Hermione reached up to tangle her fingers in Harry's hair, holding his lips to their task, "I told you, Tonks," Hermione laughed, and let her eyes close as he nibbled along her pulse.

She frowned and took a drink from the glowing drink in front of her, shuddering slightly as it went down. "What gave me away...I am a pro...pro...fessional."

Hermione looked up and back, waiting for his answer.

Harry kissed the side of her forehead, before looking back up at Tonks, "Besides the fact that I didn't need to see her to know her?" Tonks nodded and Harry shrugged, "Hermione's tits are a quarter size smaller than the ones you were wearing and she wears an emerald in her navel, you normally have a diamond and Luna usually wears a sun or a moon, sometimes a diamond."

Luna giggled uproariously, knocking aside the half-eaten steak sandwich and chips in front of her on the table as she leaned back in the booth. Arching her back, she exposed her own belly for a moment, displaying a silver sun dangling from her navel, just as Harry had explained a moment before. She leaned over and kissed his cheek, as Hermione settled more comfortably on his lap.

"I know, Luna," Harry replied laughingly. He looked up as Kimberly Tanner, the witch that Seamus had hired to run the bar during the day so he could manage it at night when they were truly busy slipped over from the bar. She slid a green glass bottle of Seamus' microbrew in front of Harry, and reached up to pull at the tail her long blonde hair was in, "Special, Harry?"

"Sure, Kim," he said, smiling up at her.

She returned a smile, and spun on her heel, giving Harry a flash of skin through a hole in her jeans at the base of her arse, and laughed as Hermione gave her a mock glare in return.

Harry stroked Hermione's thigh comfortingly under the table and took a drink from the beer that had been set in front of him, before he looked to the other two ladies at the table, "Not that I terribly mind, mind you, but why are you three at it so early in the day."

"Arthus isss an idjot..." Tonks replied, drinking heavily from her glass.

Harry smiled and nodded as the bartender dropped a plate containing a steak sandwich in front of him. He took a bite of a chip that Hermione fed him, and kissed her, and started to stroke her back, idly pleased, once again, that Hermione only became more loving when she was a touch snookered. "He is only doing what he thinks he has to, Tonks."

"I don't want to lose another one, Harry," she said morosely, cradling her drink between both of her hands. "That site sucks...there's hundreds of sightlines...not to mention that the...there will be hundreds there." She closed her eyes, and reopened them, forcing them to focus on his face, "You know what it's like to fight in D...Diagon Alley with people there, and this'll be packed."

"Nothing to do about it now, Tonks," Harry said, as he started to eat his sandwich, aptly maneuvering around Hermione as she took a drink. He had had almost twenty years of practice after all. She leaned back and he wrapped his free arm more tightly around her waist, holding her in the crook of his elbow.

She giggled in his thoughts, wiggling and causing him to groan into her hair, which was falling loosely over her shoulders. Hermione looked up and back grinning happily, and buried her face in his neck.

"Just what the hell have you three been drinking, anyway?" Harry asked after a moment, watching as Luna took another drink of the glowing green liquor.

She giggled and set down her glass, before shakily pushing a bottle into Harry's hand.

Picking it up, he stared at the label and groaned. "Oh...Bloody...Hell...Luna!"

She smiled languidly and leaned over onto Tonks, "G...Georgy, Porgy...gave it to mee," she giggled, "He said it was a wedding present, isn't that silly, Ronald deflowered me years ago..."

Hermione laughed, shaking on Harry's lap and causing more than one shiver to dance along Harry's nerves. That sounds like a really good idea, Baby, she whispered as her fingers played with the hairs on the back of his head. Though the deflowering...I can't think of anything...but we can try.

Harry valiantly stopped her from moving on his lap, to her groaned disappointment. She pouted up at him, flickering her eyelashes over eyes glowing a shade or two brighter green than the drink on the table next to a rather nice tequila that Harry half thought that was normally stored underneath the Godric's Hollow house. They seemed to be using it as a chaser. He gasped as her mind wove through his, following instincts too deep for any conceivable amount of alcohol or potion to effect.

She smirked, as she felt his heart start to race along with hers, and his response warming her bum.

Damn it, Hermione, Harry whispered, as his fingers worked at the edge of her skirt, seemingly fighting themselves, to hold at that demarcation line.

I looovee you, Harrry, she breathed, her chest heaving slowly, as she stared into his eyes, forgetting the rest of the room, even her 'sisters' as they laughed loudly about something nearly in her ear. She bit her lip, watching as he let his eyes pan down her neck, and arched her back slightly, improving his view.

He kissed her brow, and hugged her more tightly, "Kim?" he said loudly, looking back over his shoulder towards the bar.

She nodded.

"Can you make sure that these other two get home?"

"Sure, Harry."

"Good," Harry replied and took a breath to settle himself, forcing himself to push past the rather large, but welcome distraction, on his lap. He took another breath and vanished, with soft giggles still echoing in his head.

*********************************Hogwarts*******************************

The soft sound of a pair of owls hooting to each other just outside the window carried to the small alcove set at the back of the library. Emilia looked up, brushing dark curls out of her eyes as she watched Xander, who was half-dozing in the shaft of sunlight pouring in through a high window.

She nibbled on her lower lip as she stood slowly, looking back over her shoulder at the rest of the library, before she slowly padded around the table on stockinged feet, letting her fingers trail along the table. She sank to the floor at his feet, pushing his knees apart enough for her to sit between them and rest her cheek on his thigh.

She closed her eyes, letting Xander run his hands over her hair absently. She sighed contently, and nuzzled his thigh, rubbing her nose along the worn denim. How about we spend the night in the Room of Requirement? she whispered, opening her eyes to look up at his. I have a new nightie.

Really?

She grinned and stood, pushing his knees together and sitting down on his lap, straddling him and the chair. Really. She slowly drew one finger down her jaw, tracing down her throat and trailed it down the line of pearl buttons closing her blouse. She stopped the tip at the fourth button down, the first three having been unbuttoned in the warm room, and giving him a flash of black lace. It is cut down to here.

She licked her lips as he stirred slightly, and let the hand trail down to the point of her hip, And it has a vee up to here, and falls just below my arse when I stand up.

I love you...and your taste in clothing.

Thank, Mum, she went shopping with Harriet and me.

I love your mother, too.

Emilia stroked the side of his head, She's yours too, Xander. He just nodded, and kissed her nose. She slowly brought her hand up in front of her face, her eyes crossing slightly as they focused on the ring on her left hand. Has been for a while.

She was before that, Em. It just makes it official. Xander stood from the chair, holding her under her bum as she automatically wrapped her legs around his waist. She dropped them as he reached his feet and set them down on the floor, Are you going to go to your room?

Whatever for? she smiled softly, pushing him back with two fingers on his chest until he sat once more in the chair, looking up at her.

You need to change, he grinned.

Boys, Emilia sighed and stood back, bending forward at the waist to kiss him deeply, cradling his face in both hands as she pushed in.

"I see London, I see France..."

Emilia straightened indignantly and looked back over her shoulder to find Rain leaning against a bookcase, a heavy bag dangling from one shoulder. Rain buffed her nails on her school blouse before pulling them up to inspect the bright reddish gold polish that she had allowed Harriet to pick out, "Showing a bit there, dear."

Licking her lips, Em waved her hand at the table and looked back to Rain as books, parchments, quills and an inkpot flew to her bag. It sealed itself, barely, and flew over to perch precariously on Emilia's shoulder. She staggered slightly as the weight settled on her frame, "I'm busy tonight, luv," Em replied throatily, "We can try tomorrow, though."

"Oh, can we?" Rain shot back as Emilia stalked towards her.

Lifting slightly on her toes, Em kissed her on the cheek, and paused to play with her hair, before laughing. "I'm going to spend tonight with Xan in the Room, run interference for me, sis?" Emilia asked quietly.

"Sure," Rain whispered back, reaching down to squeeze Emilia's hand, "as long as you do so, Monday-"

Emilia gasped, "Merlin, I forgot...do you-"

Rain shook her head, glancing over Emilia's shoulder at Xander who was rolling his eyes. She stuck out her tongue at him, and then looked back at Emilia seriously, "No, I think I have everything we need." Her hand tightened in Emilia's, "Do you think it will work?"

Em shrugged and looked back over her shoulder, "I'll see you at dinner, Xan." He just nodded, giving her a wave as she let Rain pull her along, out of the Library.

They passed along a corridor, and after shrugging into winter cloaks from their packs, complete with heavy duty warming charms, out onto a flying bridge leading from the Library Wing to the Transfiguration Wing. Rain stopped at the center, away from prying ears, before she stepped back from Emilia, "Will it hurt, Em?" she asked quietly.

"I don't know, this is kinda forcing it, Rain," Emilia replied slowly, forcing herself to meet her sister's eyes. She scrubbed at her hair with one hand, "And I doubt that you'll get the full effect...at least yet. Emotions probably, that's always easier to do, hell we can do that to a degree anyway. But I don't know about the other. I'm sorry, I don't know that anyone's done it like this...have you told him?"

Rain sighed, and leaned back against the castle walls. "I'm afraid to." She staked away and punched at a pillar with an open hand, her training at least enough to keep her from breaking it with a fist. "Shit," she snarled as she cradled her hand to her chest.

"Merlin, you might as well have a wanker," Emilia sighed, walking over to her and gently cradling the sore hand in one hand as she reached through her cloak and grabbed her wand. She flicked it at Rain's hand and an instant later the stinging receded. "Better?"

Rain nodded. She thrust her hands into the pockets of her robes, for an instant, before moving to the edge of the bridge and standing, looking down at the icy water of the small river feeding the loch far below. "This was easier when we were eleven, Em," she announced finally. "Sometimes I wish I was a Muggle after all, some of this crap, they don't tell us about in the storybooks."

"Most of those are rated PG, dear," Emilia replied quietly as she came to stand at her shoulder. "You don't have to do anything, Justin'd chew his own arm off before he'd do anything that might inconvenience you, despite how much it cause him sleepless nights. It took you-how long-just to get him to hit back at you in practice?"

"A month," she replied, "but that's just that damn sense of honor they get from hanging around your dad," Rain groused. "I'd been happy for him to have his hand up my shirt the night we started dating...but I'm glad that he didn't, I guess. This British restraint shit is overrated."

Emilia closed her eyes, taking a breath, she thought back to piles of notes secretly gathered, "It's not dark, it's about the most pure sacrifice you can do as long as it's willing, and you love him-"

Rain nodded jerkily.

She went on, "Your sword should work for the ritual. It's already bound to you...maybe he should use his as well. I don't know that you really need it, but, it probably won't hurt."

"What happens if we don't perform the ritual then? If we wait?"

Emilia frowned, "Then it will have to be at your wedding, girl, it's the only other real opportunity, unless you, perhaps do something really special when he gives you the ring," she added with a smirk.

"He's not ready to do that, Em."

Emilia crooked an eyebrow, "He's already ordering robes with the Black crest for you, dear." She grinned, "It'll make you related to me in truth."

"Cause I care so much about that," Rain replied, letting her head flop over to rest on Emilia's shoulder. "You'll babysit, right?"

"Sure...but if its before you're twenty I'm turning you into a Blast-Ended Skrewt."

Rain laughed, "I'll hold you to that...You're going to wear that green one, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I am, he's much easier to handle when he's speechless."

***************************Room Of Requirement**************************

11:35 pm

A soft, occasional squeak of rubber on the thousand-year-old flagstones was the only sound in the otherwise abandoned seventh-floor corridor as a errant draft ruffled several tapestries on the walls. A particularly ugly one, that showed a man running from a pair of tutu-wearing trolls wielding clubs, fluttered again and a patch of air shimmered and solidified.

Xander looked to each side, as he backed into the shadows and stood absolutely still for a long minute, listening with more than human ears for any hint of life. Other than the click of a Kneazle's claws on the stones, he heard nothing, especially not the harried breathing of Smythe as he attempted, generally futilely, to catch students wandering the halls after hours.

Grinning absently, Xander took three steps across the hall, and grabbed onto the oak door that had already manifested, as if it were waiting for him. He slid though the portal and it closed behind him, vanishing as if it had never been.

The room that he emerged into, was not the opulent, depraved den of iniquity, that some had have presupposed, especially with the purpose that he had set upon this night. A large, comfortable bed sat to one side, with a slightly tattered blue and green tartan bedspread. A fire blazed lowly in the grate, casting reds and golds across the room. A leather couch sat in front of several bookshelves, each filled, nay, overfilled with books on every conceivable subject.

He frowned slightly, not finding Emilia anywhere in the room, and slowly started to walk around, wondering all the while where she had gone to. He dropped a cloak of a silvery-grey material over the back of the couch and walked around it, pausing to examine a small side table that held several bottles of butterbeer along with a selection of snacks.

Popping a ripe strawberry into his mouth, he padded over to the bookshelf, kicking off his trainers on the way, and knelt down to examine it for something to do while he was waiting. A sent query yielded only a "Wait for me" and he shrugged, even though he could not quite determine where she was, which if he bothered to think about it was a tad unusual.

Selecting a battered copy of a Sci Fi paperback from a series that his future brother-in-law had turned him on to, he sat back on the couch and began to read. He picked up at chapter ten, and laughed at a comment by a tertiary character.

Several minutes passed in silence, he took a sip from a butterbeer he had summoned and set it down. Returning to his book, he froze and looked up as a spot near the bed wavered and Emilia stepped into view, as if she had been behind a curtain.

His book tumbled from suddenly nerveless fingers, as she stepped fully into view, around the edge of the couch. The fire cast red highlights in her hair, almost like those Rain had had in hers the day he asked Emilia out, scared out of his mind and near puking at the thought of his eminent rejection. It was pulled back into a pair of tails, which fell forward over her chest, as if tracing the V of tanned skin leading down from her throat.

He stood slowly, shakily, and watched as she padded over to him with a cat-like stride, her movements rustling the emerald silk that matched a pair of faintly glowing eyes. The shift fell just past the join of her thighs, only truly serving to draw the eyes and emphasize the play of muscles in those long legs.

Sit down, Xander, she whispered, as her eyes brightened somewhat. She waited as he sank back onto the couch, and continued to stalk over to him, before slowly sitting down on his lap. She looked down, as his hands slipped to her sides, pushing up the bottom of the thin chemise until it polled around her hips.

She smiled as the index fingers of both hands played with a pair of large bows, tied at either hip, holding together a matching scrap of silk under the nightie. She squirmed on his lap, sighing softly as she made herself more comfortable. Are you going to unwrap your present?

He let one hand trail upward, to cup her cheek. Faint purring greeted his move, as she rubbed against the hand, letting her eyes flutter closed. He leaned forward, kissing her softly, before pulling back just enough to rest his brow on hers; I love you, Emilia Luna.

She just purred louder in response, the pupils of her eyes going slightly oblong before they recovered. Emilia looked down as her fingers slipped between them, "It's Friday, Xander...Rain and Harriet have our backs...we won't have to leave until Monday if you want."

"That would be brilliant," he replied and kissed her again, lifting his other hand to cradle her face, pulling her fully into him. He groaned as she pulled back, "But we won't will we?"

Emilia bit her lip and gave an almost unnoticeable shake of her head, No, but we'll make the most of what we can. She held his gaze as she stood, and took a slow step backwards. Reaching up, almost as if this were that first night months ago, she slid one, then the other strap from her shoulders, letting the thin emerald silk slip down her body like water, to pool at her feet.

She took his hand and pulled him unresistingly to his feet, and stroked his cheek with her left hand, watching as the inset stone in her ring pulsed with her elevated heartbeat. Emilia vanished his shirt with a sharp gesture before taking a step forward to press her skin to his. Lifting her head slightly, she started to nuzzle his neck, nibbling along his pulse.

Xander growled loudly, and his hands slipped under her arse, picking up with effortless ease, not even noticing her fifty-four kilos, as she wrapped her legs around him, clinging to him tightly. He walked over to the bed, his right hand slowly coming up to cradle her head against his shoulder as he continued to hold her to him.

Emilia held his eyes as he slowly lowered her to the bed, to the almost exact copy of her comfortable bed at home and took a step back. She slowly wormed her way backwards, until she was lying diagonally across the bed, the twin tails her hair was pulled into sticking straight out to each side.

Xander laughed at the picture before him, and a beat later she did as well as she took the image from his mind. Her laughter silenced as his watched his eyes darken, become endless pools of night, as bright white fangs poked from under his upper lip. A faint, relaxed smile remained as he slowly crawled onto the bed, to hover over her. A quick darting of one hand, and her knickers fluttered away as he pulled on one bow, like a Muggle magician removing a tablecloth from under a stack of plates.

Balancing on one hand he slowly lowered his lips to hers, pressing her into the bed. Her hands came up, knotting in his hair, as she let her lips fall open at the slightest touch of his tongue. A faint sting came from her lower lip, unnoticed in the flood of fire racing through her nerves, racing from her mouth, spiraling around her breasts and racing to her core.

He pulled away, panting after a minute longer, stroking her hair slowly. Her eyes reflected in his, casting her own glow back on her cheeks and heaving chest, catching in the droplets of moisture dotting her throat. "Merlin," Xander whispered as he let his gaze fall to her lips, "I'm sorry, Em..." A smear of blood darkened her lips, and his tongue flicked out, touching the tip of one of his fangs, finding it wet

She shrugged, and licked the blood from her lips, before reaching back up to grab his head, "I'm tough." He laughed and let her finish pulling him back to her, back where he belonged for the next several hundred years at least.

A flicker of motion and she rolled them over, until she was looking down at him from the distance of only an inch or so. She sat up and slowly moved down until she was sitting astride his lower legs. Emilia let her eyes flick up his body and folded at the hips, slowly kissing down his body as she slowly kissed downward, taking time to kiss each muscle in turn, and then following a light trail of dark hair from his navel to the button of his jeans.

Rolling upright, she ignored Xander's faint chuckles as she looked down, her tongue in the corner of her lips and fingered the top button of his jeans. Emilia eased it out through the slightly tattered hole, and grabbing both sides of the fastener, pulled slowly, letting the remaining buttons holding his fly closed pop loose one by one.

A visibly relieved expression crossed Xander's face a beat later, only to be replaced by a shuttered one, as she stroked his boxers, petting the large bulge she found there waiting for her. The very tip of her tongue wetted her lips as watched it strain the soft cotton.

He bucked up into her hand, and she giggled, a rare sound, but one that seemed appropriate, somehow. A smirk; You get me the nicest things. She pulled down on his boxers and jeans, and dodging to the side as he sprung free. Very nice things, she added absently as she lifted herself using her legs and sent a flicker to power to slide his jeans and boxers the rest of the way off, leaving him naked beneath her.

Emilia licked her lips once more, and slowly lowered her head, flicking her tongue out to taste him. Xander groaned, his hands balling in the covers as she slowly took him in, her eyes flicking upward to watch his face as she moved.

He let her work for several moments longer before he pulled her away gently. Emilia pouted, Xander, love, I...

He sat up, pulling her up with him, and shaking his head slightly as he lifted her up with his hands on her hips, to set astride his lap. As much as you are simply brilliant at that...we have all night, and I need you, more than anything right now.

Emilia licked her lips and nodded, I need you all the effing time, she replied, her voice utterly serious, as she slowly leaned back, falling back onto the bed and pulling him on top of her. A brief, unremarked taste of blood past her tongue once more, and vanished from notice as her eyes fluttered closed, and her legs came up to twist around his as he slipped home, the invitation as implicit as breathing.

Soft, quiet contented mews, escaped her lips as Xander moved slowly in her, matching perfectly her own movements in return as she cradled his head to her shoulder. A quiet gasp, as fangs lightly scrapped her pulse, sending shivers down her spine to join the already building pool of quicksilver at her core.

Xander rolled them to their sides, reaching down and pulling her top leg higher on his waist as he started to move faster.

Emilia forced her eyes open to stare into his, watching as the emerald light from hers moved in his, slipping up and down, and sparkling off the moisture collecting at his brow. She lowered her lips back to his, her tongue slipping home, and moving in time to his in her, even as she finished rolling them over.

She yelped as their movements sent them tumbling off the bed to the floor, and a loud "OHFF" from Xander along with an accompanying spike of pain in his arse, that Em felt a beat later as the impulse raced along their link.

She only laughed, half-panting, as she sat up on his lap, and glanced down, she let her fingers play on the muscles of his stomach, "Didn't even fall out," she quipped, and started to rock on his lap, causing a loud groan to fill the room. Her smile fell, as she reached down to interlace their fingers and leaned back against them, using the leverage to move harder against him.

Xander's eyes slowly tracked down her throat, watching as rivulets of sweat slowly rolled down her neck, and tracking down between her breasts. He spent a pleasurable moment watching them move with her exertions, before continuing to follow the droplet down until it splashed on his stomach, just above where they were joined.

The shuttered glow of her eyes increased as he felt her thoughts, her soul interlacing even more with his, the pale excuse for separation that they maintained vanishing under a torrent of emotion.

The kitten-like mews that she had been murmuring all along, slowly faded into one continuous purring sound as the quicksilver in her belly started to boil, sending races of lighting along her nerves and crashing into Xander, bouncing off the same coming from him.

Bouncing once more, Emilia, arched back even further, and moaned his name, as she crashed, the fire in her stomach exploding along her nerves as she convulsed around him, and her vision greying out. He thrust up once more into her, and then again, before he followed along, being pulled along as she curled around his mind, wrapping it in a warm blanket, even as their nerves exploded in concert.

Emilia collapsed onto his chest, still quivering as a limp arm wrapped around her, and pressing her into his chest. After several long, timeless minutes, Emilia squirmed slightly on his chest, moving so as to not dislodge him from her. Her purr returned as his fingers started to trace the bumps in her spine.

Her breathing slowed, and her vision fully returned to now, only, emerald eyes, I love you, Xander.

You are rather alright yourself, love, he returned, bending his head enough to kiss her hair. She yawned faintly, and he smirked, Am I keeping you up late, dear?

She grinned up at him and snuggled her head more securely into his neck, Night, Xan.

Night, Em...you know that I'm just going to wake you up in an hour, right?

I'm counting on it, she replied, yawning in her thoughts as her breathing slowed even further and slipped off to sleep.

********************************Hogwarts*******************************

February 1, 2016
11:15 pm

"Rain, I..." Justin said softly, as she pulled him along a dim hidden corridor paralleling the one to Gryffindor tower. He gently tugged on her hand, stopping them as they came to a seemingly blank cul-de-sac. "We don't have to do this, I can wait."

She smiled at him, her eyes glittering in the light of the few torches that lit the passage. Shaking her head, she turned into him and kissed him, before she leaned back slightly. A thumb ran idly over one of his cheekbones, as she took a breath, "I can't."

Small white teeth nibbled on the corner of her lip as she watched him watch her, as she moved idly in the gold and red skirt she had borrowed from one 'sister', and a black, tight sweater that her other one had bought in Diagon Alley over Christmas holidays, as it made her hair look 'shiny'.

None of the girls understood Hermione's strange bout of shivering at that announcement.

Rain let go of his hands and pulled the hem of her sweater back down to meet her hips, before she grabbed his hand again and touched the blank wall with the palm of her other hand. It shook and grumbled, as blocks of stone leapt out of the way, forming an archway, leading to a tight spiraling set of stairs leading upward.

"Where are we going?" Justin asked as they started up the stairs, their shoes clicking quietly on the stairs, the very sound evidence of her nervousness. She paused at the top and looked back at him as he stood on a small landing just large enough for the pair of them. "Rain," he breathed in her ear, sending her pulse racing as he let his hands fall to her waist. His fingers pushed up the hem of her jumper, settling warmly on her waist, as he nuzzled the hollow just behind her ear, drawing a purr from his witch. "I love you, Kitten, I don't have to, really-"

She shook her head, not bothering to reply, and let her left hand fall to her hip, taking his hand in hers, before she took a sharp step forward at and through the wall. A long step sent them through the solid stone, to emerge in a cozy, round room.

He looked to each side as he let her hand drop, and slowly looked around the room, taking in the fireplace inset in one wall, already lit. No furniture was in the room, instead a pile of large, furry blankets filled the center of the room, inset in a large ring of fat white and red candles, each lit with a pure white flame. Rain kicked off her shoes and padded barefoot across the floor, which as Justin followed her automatically gave under his feet, like walking on a giant pillow.

"Where are we, Rain Mai?" Justin asked as she knelt on the soft floor facing him.

She smiled, catlike, and waved at the floor in front of her. Her eyes watched as he knelt in front of her, watching as she took a deep breath, straining the dark wool of her jumper dangerously. Rain licked her lips, as she looked down and to her right, and waved her hand over an empty patch of floor. It shimmered and her sword appeared, slivery blue on the floor.

Reaching down, she reached under her skirt, and drew her wand. She slowly brought it up to her lips, and kissed the redwood, before laying it on the floor next to her sword, the very blade her father had bound to her with her own blood when she was twelve.

"We are in Gryffindor Tower, Justin," Rain answered, "somewhere in it, anyway." She grinned quickly before looking down at her knees, which were poking out from under the hem of her skirt. "I found this little room in some of Aunt Hermione's notes, she said it was one that the Twins had found, and used for their firewhisky stash. I...and Em and Harriet, we, uh...cleaned it up, made a few modifications..."

"Um, Rain, why the-"

"Why do I have my sword?" she finished for him, he nodded and she shrugged, before she leaned forward to take both of his hands in hers, and scooted closer, rising on her knees until her front lightly brushed his. "Because there is a way to-"

"Really?"

"Maybe," she replied, moving even closer. "I don't know what will happen, neither does Em...Harriet might, but she just keeps grinning and writing Harriet Potter on her notes." Justin laughed quietly and she grinned, and kissed him quickly before sitting back on her heels. "Seriously, Justin, honey...it could be risky, I..."

Justin looked to the side, to her sword resting beside her. He let his eyes rise back to hers. "What do I need to do, Rain?" he asked very softly, answering her fears with a look that lasted a long, silent minute.

She reached over to the side, twisting back and placing the unsheathed sword across her thighs. Taking a deep breath she hitched up her skirt, hiking it almost to her hips, as she spread her knees slightly. Rain picked up her sword and rammed it into the floor between her knees, the dual edges aligned with each of them.

"Give me your hand, Honey." Rain grabbed his left hand with hers, and gently wrapped his hand around the edge. She completed the circle of the blade with her own left, before she grabbed them both with her right and squeezed.

The candles flared, flames a foot high licking the air, as a shimmering circle snapped into existence as thick, red, heart blood swirled around the sword, mixing with each others as if possessed of a life of its own.

A sudden, sourceless wind sent Rain's hair whipping about her face, the ends lightly slapping Justin's face, as they shared a sudden, gasped breath, collapsing forward together. Rain breathed a long sentence in Latin under her breath, and yelped as she felt a spike of blue-white fire snap between them for a moment, before it shot outward, impacting their suddenly visible auras. They flared as one, greenish-gold, and pure blue before they blended to a blue-gold and vanished from view.

Rain let her sword clatter to the side, and collapsed into Justin's arms, which had come up automatically to catch her. He reached up with his left hand automatically, brushing her hair out of her face, only vaguely realizing that he was still bleeding.

She panted for a long moment, her breath hot on his neck, as she shook along with him, before her eyes refocused. Rain slowly lifted her head, finally noticing her dripping hand. Interlacing their left hands, she called her wand to her hand. "Integumata enclosium," she whispered, pressing the tip of her wand between them.

A warm flush rushed up her arm, to pool in her chest as she pulled her hand from his and glanced at it. A long scar bisected her palm, perfectly healed, but still visible, the spell was not sufficient to vanish the mark from her skin.

Blue eyes glittered through black locks, holding his as her wand moved in her right hand shakily until the very tip rested on the taunt skin of her belly, just above the waistband of her skirt. Inconceivious, she whispered, and gasped, letting her wand fall to the floor as a rush of heat raced along her nerves.

Justin watched her, his eyes never leaving her, "What now?"

She only smiled, a small knowing smile that was somehow both new and thousands of years old at the same time, "Now," she announced as she reached up to her throat, and slowly lowered the silver zipper of her jumper, until it hung open loosely, revealing a stripe of permanently tanned skin, from her throat to her hips, broken only by a bright blue sapphire glinting in her navel. "Now," she repeated as she leaned forward into him, "you get me-happy birthday, my love."

A/N: There you go. Though I normally come up with the t-shirts myself, Rain's at the beginning was inspired by a pic on deviant Art, which I had linked, but it screwed up the formating.

And yeah, this scene was why Em and Xan didn't get their last scene finished, I hope this made up for it.

Next Chapter, Sirius and Harriet, a lot of Sirius and Harriet. And stay turned there will be a R/L Without Supervision short up soon...and it's most definitely rated NC-17...

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33. Chapter 32: Flirting with Disaster

A/N: Here we go, once more into the breach. The kids are growing up. Fast. Real fast. And yeah, this one's NC-17 too.... Thank you to Lady Starlight, without her help and guidance over these last few years, and occasional kicking of my arse when I wander off the reservation, this would probably pretty much suck...but if there's a screw up, it's my fault. And I still own nothing

Chapter 32: Flirting With Disaster
********************************Library********************************

February 13, 2016
9:45 pm

A soft snowfall pattered against the tall, leaded windows of the Library, piling up in drifts on the sills, to half-conceal the dark night outside. The light from several flickering oil lamps illuminated a scarred oaken table, dented and dinged by thousands and thousands of quills, and books, and bags crashing into its top.

The top was almost invisible however, buried under a thick layer of papers, books, and quills, moved occasionally by a cold draft slipping in from the windows. A pair of half-filled carts wheeled by, spitting out books at random to reshelve themselves in the tall, slightly crooked shelves, half of which did not match from one row to the other.

Sirius watched the cart roll past, reaching down and moving his pack out of the way of the cart before it could run it over. He looked back up, and across the table to find soft grey eyes watching him. A faint smirk bloomed as he noticed a smudge of ink on her cheek, and he stood, reaching over the table to rub a thumb along it.

Harriet closed her eyes, turning into his touch as the faintest sparkle of magic skittered along her nerves, and she unthinkingly brushed her lips across his palm. Sirius sat back down, his breathing quickening for a beat.

He slowly fell back into his chair, and swallowed heavily as Harriet opened her eyes, and her vague gaze sharpened, looking at him and him alone.

Sirius watched, feeling his mouth go dry as she stood slowly, and stretched, his eyes falling totally unconsciously to the modest swell of her chest, even half hidden under a battered size-or-two too-large Gryffindor Team sweatshirt she had-borrowed, from him. Harriet looked back towards the entrance to the library, past the entrance to the hidden nook that Emilia had graciously lent them, and then back to Sirius, with a faint knowing smirk.

Her fingers trailed along the wood, as she walked around the table, to his side. He scooted back slightly from the table, turning the chair halfway as he watched her, before she slowly settled astride his lap without a word. She reached up and watched as her fingers partially disappeared into his hair, before slowly leaning down to kiss him.

Harriet sighed very softly as her lips fell open at the touch of his tongue to them, and she let her eyes fall closed, content to let him lead.

A bit of cold air danced along the skin at the small of her back, as hands instinctively sought her skin, pushing up under the loose sweatshirt to run along her spine. She reciprocated, letting her fingers slip under his own sweatshirt, a battered one with an almost illegible picture of a Hippogriff in flight, over the words, "If it seems impossible, then you haven't been paying attention."

Harriet pulled away slightly, resting her forehead against his. She looked down, lightly tracing her fingers along his stomach, as she started to gnaw on her lower lip. "I love you, Sirius," she murmured, and felt his heart stammer under her fingers as her other hand slowly pushed up under his shirt.

He opened his mouth, and she covered it with the fingers of her right hand, shaking her head slightly, "You don't have to..."

He kissed the fingers and reached up with one hand, pulling it from under the back of her sweatshirt, to grasp her hand and slowly interlace his fingers with hers. His other hand came out, cupping the back of her head, his spread fingers laying on either side of the simple tail she wore her hair in most days, and kissed her.

A quiet, purring moan escaped as she sunk into him, moving on his lap, pressing her chest into his. A soft squeak, of not quite surprise, came out, as she moved again, and felt him stir through the fabric her jeans. Her eyes widened, as she looked down between them and then back up at his face, finding his cheeks burning. "Harriet, I..."

"It's alright," she breathed. The already quiet room became utterly silent, as she slowly reached down between them to run her fingers along the front of his jeans. Sirius hissed quietly, and arched up to her, causing a faint moan to fall headless from soft lips. Silver eyes became small moons, and she stood from his lap, grabbing on to one of his hands with both of hers, and pulling him to his feet.

"Harriet, uh...."

"Em and the rest won't be back tonight," Harriet murmured, stepping back to him and molding her front to his. She took a half step back, walking backwards and pulling him towards the empty stacks, late on a Saturday night before Valentine's Day with still months to go before OWLs and NEWTs.

She turned, still holding his hand with hers as she led him back into the stacks, past racks and racks of tomes written before his grandparents were conceived.

Harriet stopped at the end of a long, twisted trail through the depths of the stacks, to end up at a blank, hidden alcove bordered by more bookshelves. A tall window filled one wall of the alcove, with a padded window seat sitting empty. Harriet slowly backed against a bookshelf, pulling Sirius with her, until her back lightly hit the shelf, sending a few books thumping to the ground as she pulled his head down to hers with one hand.

Sirius felt her free hand slip down and under his shirt, pushing it up. He slowly reciprocated; letting his hands push up her shirt, lifting the back until almost the bottom of her ribs. His eyes widened as his fingers slipped up a touch more and found no strap, and slowly, tentatively, slipped around under her shirt, tracing her ribs, until trembling hands brushed the sides of her breasts.

Harriet dropped her head to his shoulder, nibbling lightly, and gasped loudly as thumbs skated up the sides and brushed a pair of erect nubbins. Instinctively, as if he knew her body as well as his own, he started to lightly dance his fingers along the tips of his new discovery, only to feel her shudder beneath him.

Harriet rocked back against him, finding herself between his legs, and slowly moved, reaching up to link her hands behind his neck to give herself more leverage. Sirius' hands stopped as he hissed, feeling a spike of pure fire rip through his body from his core. "Keep going," Harriet grunted, before kissing him fiercely, spinning them both around, and staggering backwards, until they half-collapsed onto the window seat.

Her heated skin did not even feel the frigid expanse of the window as her half-bare back touched it and she felt herself sliding down to lie on the seat, with her legs hanging off the edge. She pulled Sirius into her, dragging his weight down on top of her. Small hands, with nails painted at least ten different colors cupped his bum, encouraging him as he pressed against her, pressing against her core.

One hand fell down, slipping between them, to slowly play with the button of his jeans and they both froze, panting, as half-lidded grey eyes met emeralds, already flickering with occasional sparkles of light.

"Harri..."

Sirius' words were lost as Harriet pulled his lips back down to hers, dancing her tongue along his lips, and causing them to fall open. Her tongue slowly swirled around his, almost lazily, as she unhurriedly pulled at his fly, and buttons popped open one by one.

Sirius moaned quietly, as her hand crept beneath his boxers and touched him for the first time. Her thumb found the drop of moisture at the tip, and swirled it about, making Sirius quiver in response.

Harriet broke the kiss, pulling back a bare inch as she started to slowly run her hand up and down his length, "Am I..." she breathed.

"P...perfect," he gritted out.

"Good," Harriet returned before returning to the kiss and squeezed him, slowly speeding up, letting her thumb spread the moisture every few strokes. Sirius groaned, fighting to keep the noise down as she increased her attentions, bucking into her hand. Her hand moved even faster, moving in time with her tongue as he bucked into her hand, any conscious control of his movements long gone.

Sirius almost cried her name into her lips as he exploded, covering her hand in his release. All of his weight fell on her, and she pulled his head down to her shoulder and stroked his hair lovingly. Scourgify, she muttered and a soft breeze passed over Sirius' nether regions, cleaning them both.

Harriet slowly pulled her hand free, and brought it to her lips, tasting the faint remainder of him left after her spell. Her eyes lit faintly as Sirius sat up on the window seat, pulling her with him and scooting back until his back was to the window frame. Harriet turned and settled back against him, letting her head flop back onto his shoulder.

"I love you, Harriet..." he whispered and she made a soft, quiet noise of agreement. She mewed as his hand cupped her stomach, pressing lightly against her belly, as the very tips of his fingers slipped under the loose waistband of her jeans. His fingertips brushed a bit of lace and he stopped, taking a deep, shuddering breath. "Harriet...can I..."

"If you want to," she replied, tremulously. She looked down as her jeans unbuttoned themselves, and the zip slowly slid downward. A black triangle of lace was revealed, and she turned her head, kissing him, as he turned to find her eyes with a look of utter admiration in his own.

The fingers slowly slid under the edge, "I don't know what..."

She smiled, and let her fingers tangle with his, and slowly slid their joined hands under the lace, slipping them under the delicate fabric. They both shuddered as their joined fingers ghosted down over slick skin, to lightly trace along her lower lips. Harriet sighed heavily, and her chest heaved. "Like that," she whispered, "you need to make sure I'm...w...wet..."

"You are..."

"I know..." she took his fingers, "trace along here first...gently..." She shuddered, as he seemed to read her thoughts, letting his fingers trace lightly, then dance a touch higher. His thumb found a tiny nubbin and brushed it, and she cried out, arching up.

"Was that supposed to happen?"

Harriet nodded vigorously, and let her fingers leave his. His fingers continued to explore, leaving his thumb where it was. "P...put it in m...meee..." Harriet sputtered, and Sirius complied, slowly sliding his longest finger into her, following his instincts, or possibly something more, and began to rock it in and out slowly, stroking her clit in time with the motion of his finger. Her hands pushed up her shirt, to caress her own breasts. She turned her head and kissed him, gasping as a second finger joined the first and started to speed up.

"Oh...M...M..erlin," she murmured, and started to try to move to meet his hand. A pool of fire gathered low in her belly, growing and sending tendrils out to her extremities. He moved once more, and she stiffened, spasming as she clenched around his fingers, burying her face into his neck.

A faint, unnoticed metallic taste filled her mouth, lost in the flood of sensations crashing along her nerves, as she flopped bonelessly back against him, letting him totally take her weight, which he did without complaint. She panted, letting her breath return, as Sirius stroked her until she came down and slowly pulled his hand free. She grabbed his hand with one of hers and brought it to her lips, licking the fingers clean.

Feeling him react to her, growing hard against her bum, "We can't..." she almost sobbed.

"I'm not..."

"I really want to, Sirius, but we have to wait until you're sixteen." Harriet took his hands in hers, holding them together and resting their joined hands on the top edge of her knickers. "You know why..."

"It's gonna suck."

"We can do that too, if you want?" Harriet asked timidly.

"Not tonight," Sirius replied, and tightened his hands around her. His eyes flickered and her jeans buttoned themselves, and her sweatshirt pulled mostly down, held up only by their hands on her belly. He slowly played with the silver moon hanging from her navel with his thumb, as he let the silence stretch and Harriet wiggled back into his embrace.

"Why?" he asked finally.

"I needed you," Harriet whispered, and closed her eyes. "We should probably get up, just in case..."

"Yeah, we probably should," Sirius agreed, but made no attempt to dislodge her. Instead he sighed, and kissed her neck. "I think we could just sleep here."

"Alright."

***************************Gryffindor Tower******************************

February 14, 2016
2:20 am

Harriet sat upright with a loud gasp and looked around the room with unseeing eyes as flashes of fire and blood still filled her sight, blanking out the dim room. A vision of Sirius, his black hair shiny and matted with blood, remained, even after her eyes opened, causing her heart to hammer against her ribs. She took a shuddering breath as she untangled her legs from the covers, what little of them remained on the bed and spun so her legs hung off the edge. Sweat-sodden hair hung lank in front of her eyes, as she stared down at her bare feet, poking out from the sweatpants she had replaced her jeans with after she and Sirius had returned from the Library, having been chased off by the caretaker at closing.

Her sight cleared, just slightly, the remnants of her vision periodically overlaying her sight as she looked around the room to find Em's unmade bed empty, she was with Xander, and the curtains closed and silenced around Rain's, Justin's birthday had been fourteen days ago, and it was, technically, Valentine's Day.

Harriet quavered slightly as she stood, not feeling the cold of the floor against her feet nor the chill in the air on her sweaty skin as she moved robotically towards the door. Gaheris looked up from his bed at the foot of hers, and leapt up on her bed, grabbing her wand from under her pillow in his teeth and carrying it over to her just as she reached the door.

He butted her leg with his head until she looked down and took the wand, still not quite tracking, and slipped in the back of her sweats. He followed her down the curving stairs to the Common Room, watching as she half-leaned against the hand that was trailing along the stone wall of the staircase.

Gaheris watched as she crossed the room to the other set of staircases and slowly started upward, watching her feet as they stepped one in front of the other, soundlessly, up the ancient stairs to the boys' levels of the tower. The wolf paced over to the fire and settled down on the warm stones of the hearth, watching with his eyes until his Mistress was out of sight.

A faint thread, not even consciously in her sight, led her along the corridor, stepping between pools of light and darkness until she reached a closed door set with a small plaque labeled with several names. She traced her fingers over 'Sirius Potter', and opened the door, stepping in without a sound.

The room was messy, more so than the one she shared with her roommates, even with their somewhat laissez-faire attitude to things like picking up clothes, brooms and books. She tripped slightly over a pile of clothes, and caught herself automatically on Lawrence's bed.

She slipped around a large stack of books and papers, and looked over, her eyes still cloudy as Natasha hooted at her. The owl fluttered over to her, and landed on the stack of books. She looked up with huge, amber eyes as Harriet patted her head once, automatically, and continued.

Crimson hangings, several shades darker than her hair, blocked her path for an instant, before she pulled them aside, as she slipped onto the bed and closed them behind her. She drew her wand from behind her back and slipped it under the pillows, still not quite tracking fully. Shaking hands pulled aside the covers and she crawled under them, pressing against the warm, and more far importantly, alive, body she found there. Her hands burrowed under the hem of his sweatshirt, desperately seeking his skin.

He started as she touched his stomach, and his hand flashed towards the wand holster attached to the headboard, and stopped halfway as he recognized instinctively who was huddled against him.

He continued his reach, and drew his wand. "Lumos minima," he whispered, and a soft, white glow lit the interior of his curtains. He let go of his wand, letting it float up to the top of the canopy. "What's wrong?" he whispered, brushing his hands through her hair. "Merlin, Harriet, you're soaked..."

"C...can I stay with you?" she breathed, snuggling up to him. She shivered as a bit of cold air, slipping through a crack in the curtains, reached her.

"Of course, you never have to ask me that," he replied, and kissed her hair. "Stay here," he said after she shivered again, and he started to move towards the edge of the bed. "I'm not going outside of this room, Harriet, alright?" She bit her lip, but nodded after a minute and he kissed her gently, before rolling out of bed.

A soft creak came through the curtains as Sirius opened his trunk, and a minute later, he came back in, pulling the curtains taut around the bed. He set a Gryffindor team sweatshirt on the bed. The shirt was the other one she had borrowed and the elves had returned with the laundry just this morning. He knew he had lost it again as soon as he picked it up. "Let's get you out of those."

A faint, almost smile graced her lips, "We have to wait for that, remember?" she choked, with a faint sob underlying her words.

Sirius just reached down and pulled off her sodden t-shirt, dropping it outside of the curtains. He pulled the sweatshirt on over her head, dressing her almost like a child, only noticing in the abstract that she had been wearing nothing under the other shirt. Sirius called his wand back down to his hand as he pulled the covers over Harriet, and crawled in beside her, canceling the light as well, and plunging the enclosure into dimness.

She wiggled under the blanket, and pulled out her sweatpants, tossing them to the ground outside of the bed.

Sirius swallowed heavily as she rolled over to drape mostly on top of him, squeezing him with both arms as if she were afraid he would leave at any moment. "I...hope you had something on under those," he muttered hoarsely.

"Knickers, with little fluffy Kneazles on them," she murmured against his neck. She closed her eyes and sighed. After a few seconds, she started to shake, and Sirius pulled her tighter after he pulled the blanket up to her neck.

"What's wrong, Harriet?" he whispered after a moment longer, bending his neck enough to catch her eyes. Just for an eyeblink, he almost thought the silver of her eyes had picked up a faint greenish glow, but he blinked again and it, if anything, was gone.

Harriet made a faint, indistinct sound, before she shrugged and buried her face in his neck again. "She had you...Sirius," she murmured, finally, her voice barely audible over the soft sound of snoring coming from one of his roommates. "She had you and she made me watch..."

Sirius grabbed the handle of his wand, "Silencio," and the sounds faded away. "I'm right here, I'm not going anywhere without you."

"You promise?" she replied, her voice appropriate to a ten year younger version of herself, than the nearly adult she was. He just nodded, and pulled her tighter to him, his free hand slipping up under her shirt in the back as he started to rub her spine in small circles. "Good," she added a beat later; "I'm not leaving you either, not even if a Orange-Spotted Cappicot tries to steal all of your nose hair."

"I'm glad," he said, physically picking her up to set her more securely on top of him. He kissed her, and closed his eyes "Let's get some sleep, Love," he murmured, the endearment falling off his lips unthinkingly.

Harriet perked up slightly, and a true, if small smile answered him. "Can we go for a walk around the lake tomorrow?"

Sirius nodded, not about to comment that the sleet that was falling at the moment outside the castle would probably continue. If she wanted to take a walk, he would go, even if the precipitation was flaming instead of frozen. Instead he just yawned, and slipped off, lulled to sleep by the soft buzzing in the back of his head that had been growing stronger for months, that he had first noticed in July.

Harriet felt around with one of her hands until she found his right one. She interlaced their fingers and tucked the hand between them, low on her belly. "'Night, my prince, nothing will get to you."

Eight hours later, Sirius opened his eyes, and immediately rolled them as he found himself utterly entwined with Harriet. He managed to lift his head slightly at the brush of something soft across his arm, and snorted faintly as he sat the tip of Harriet's tail twitching slightly where it had slipped from under the edge of the blankets.

Living with one, then later two other teenage girls, all of whom had very feline Animagi forms, he had learned that there was more than a bit of bleed over, more so than he had ever experienced. He could not really even hold the halfway, "Neko" form that Em, Harriet and Rain could at will, for more than a brief second. For him it was all or nothing, though he could do the ears, and he did have the senses and instincts, as they did.

He also did not transform to the halfway form when he was stressed.

His mind slowly woke the rest of the way, and he flushed red as he realized where her hand was resting, comfortably resting against a certain portion of his anatomy that was much more of an early riser than he was; in both senses.

She squirmed on his chest, and he took a deep breath as he slowly managed to get a hand free enough to peer under the blanket to find that in her snuggling, she had managed to push her sweatshirt up enough to almost expose her chest, leaving the tanned expanse of her back down to the knickers she had mentioned last night visible in the twilight under the blanket, which were pushed down enough by her tail, to expose the top half of her bum.

One of the Kneazles scampered across her arse, and he looked over at her face, just as her eyes opened and looked into his. She held his for a long moment, her pupils slightly oblong, before she slowly smiled and looked down, stroking her hand along the bulge in his pajamas.

"Harriet, Love..."

She looked back up at him, and smiled, moving up his body and cupping his face between her hands. She leaned in and kissed him, sighing softly as she let her lips fall open at the touch of his tongue.

He laughed, breaking the kiss as he caught one the twitch of one of her ears out of the corner of his eye, "You are doing it on purpose," he accused, still laughing and she grinned.

Her nose scrunched up and her tail and ears vanished rapidly, receding and transforming back to purely human, before she settled down against him. "A little," she admitted, and kissed him again. "Are we alone?"

Sirius' eyes went slightly blank, and he nodded after a second, "Yeah, probably, anyway, I doubt Mum or Dad are hiding just outside of my curtains."

"Do we have to get up?" she asked, very softly, her luminous grey eyes seeming to grow, even as her lower lip jutted out very slightly. Sirius just shook his head, not even trying to fight the pleading look on his girlfriend's face. A thought visibly crossed her mind before she sat up abruptly, letting the blanket fall down behind her. Before Sirius could even mutter a word, she reached down and pulled off the sweatshirt, tossing it to a corner of the bed and laid back down on him, reaching back to pull the blanket up over her now bare shoulders. "That's better," she said happily, and closed her eyes.

Sirius swallowed heavily, feeling a part of him react even more strongly to the image, one that he had seen last, early this morning, though it had not even effected him then. "Are you..." he bit off the rest, swallowing what he almost asked, afraid that it might have colored last night's events before her nightmare.

She lifted her head, and cupped his cheek with one hand, before she kissed him again, and let her head fall back down to his chest, "Am I in heat, horny, randy?" He nodded hesitantly. "Yeah, but its not because of anything with my kitty form, Sirius...I've wanted you so badly since July..." she shrugged, "Honestly, my fingers got tired."

Sirius blushed.

"You can take off your clothes if you want," she shrugged, "It's more comfortable."

"I...better not," he replied quietly.

"Alright," Harriet replied sleepily, closing her eyes again, "you sure we don't need to get up?"

"As long as you want to stay in bed, we will," he replied.

"Brilliant," she yawned, reaching down under the blanket until her hands found his stomach to push up his sweatshirt. "Unless something changes, we are going to have two daughters in case you were wondering, one with black hair and grey eyes, the other with red hair and your eyes. Em only had two sons-"

Sirius slowly crooked an eyebrow as he felt her slide off to sleep without another word, before he chuckled quietly and closed his own eyes, thankful that the curtains were nearly lightproof.

****************************Godric's Hollow******************************

1:10 pm

Hermione rolled her eyes and pulled down her sweatshirt slightly, and turned the page of the novel she had started this week, before smiling down at Harry, as he slept with his head in her lap. I need to get time to get a tan, Hermione mused as she idly noticed the contrast of his hair with her legs. She bent down and kissed the side of his head, and sat back up.

She yawned, and waved at the air, Tempus, soft; flaming letters and numbers appeared floating over the foot of the bed. She sighed, noting that she and Harry had missed lunch, and breakfast, a rather frequent occurrence over the last eighteen years or so. "Baby," she whispered, brushing his hair away from closed eyes, "do you want something to eat?"

Harry didn't respond, other than with a soft, contented sound as he snuggled his head down further into her bare lap, and she shook her head, before settling back against the headboard, leaning into the pillows piled high behind her. Going hungry for an hour or two was a rather small price to pay, after all, for everything else.

Briefly, she allowed herself an amused smirk as she looked around their bedroom, at the utter disaster that had set in, starting sometime after a candle-lit dinner last night, trailing through the living room, den, stairs, upstairs hallway and ending in here, Merlin, I'm glad that house-elves don't care what 'their' humans do, or we'd have given Dobby a heart attack.

The small bookshelf that sat in one corner for her 'light reading' was empty, the books scattered about the floor. The hamper was upended, with clothes piled here and there around the room as if a mad two-year-old had been playing dress-up. The clothes that they had started the night with, last night, were still in the kitchen, if she remembered correctly-though by now Dobby or Winky probably had picked them up, probably giggling the entire way.

A pair of boots were hanging by their interlaced bootstrings on the closet door's knob, and Hedwig hooted down at them merrily from the top of the dresser as she looked over the chaos smugly, even for an owl. Familiars were remarkably able to express their feelings when they felt the need. After Hermione stuck her tongue out at the snowy owl, she hooted agreeably before tucking her head under her wing to take a nap.

Hermione let out a breathless laugh as Harry's breath tickled a rather sensitive bit, and sat her book down carefully, making her place as she idly scratched his scalp with short nails. She looked down at him, and sent the book over to drop on top of her bookshelf, He should be rested enough....She started to bend down to wake him, bringing up a bare foot under the blanket, trailing it up his leg when a soft hoot came from the dresser mirror and she sighed, pulling up the blanket to cover Harry, and glancing down to make sure she was covered.

She motioned in the direction of the mirror and it wavered for a few seconds before Luna's face appeared, about two or three times life-size. "Yes, Luna?" Hermione said pleasantly, even as she let her fingers continue to play with the small hairs of the back of Harry's head, hidden beneath the blanket in her lap.

Luna looked at her for a moment, rarely blinking. As she did so, Hermione noticed that her best female friend had faint bags under her eyes, as if she had not actually, slept, in the past day or so, though she looked remarkably like a Kneazle who had just ate the canary. A faint flush dusted across her cheeks and her hair, almost as disheveled as Hermione's own, a feat considering that Hermione's was occasionally constrained by main force, was a shade or two darker than normal, as if it was damp, as was the bit of skin Hermione could see.

Luna sat back and the mirror zoomed out to show that the blonde was nude from the waist up at least, and Hermione just crooked an eyebrow.

"Up late celebrating?"

Luna smiled slowly, and stood. The mirror followed her, revealing that she was totally nude, as she stepped over a fur-covered lump on the floor, with a bare foot sticking out at one end and a tuft of red hair at the other, and stretched, rising on her toes. Luna grabbed a very old, quite decrepit, Gryffindor Keeper's jersey from the floor and pulled it on over her head.

She dropped to the floor next to Ron, who did not even stir and crossed her legs in front of her, leaning back on her hands. The light from the fire in Ron and Luna's quarters at Hogwarts flickered on the side of her face, "Yes," Luna replied without a hint of shame, though after all of these years, there was very little shame between the two of them, even with their forced separation. Ron stirred slightly as Luna reached under the blanket to play with his hair, "He's so cooperative," she mused out loud, "even when he's-"

"Why did you call, Luna?" Hermione interrupted, not really wanting to know anything about Ron's cooperation with anything. Luna seemed to consider the question for an inordinate amount of time, when Hermione let out a soft gasp as under the blanket, her sweatshirt slowly lifted up. "Did...ah...you...n...need something," she said slowly as unseen kisses slowly danced up the inside of her thighs.

She let out a very soft squeak, and reached down, fisting her fingers in inky locks as those lips reached their goal, and started to kiss lightly to each side. Her eyes crossed slightly as Harry grinned and flicked out a tongue to tease her.

Luna did not seem to notice, she shrugged, "I was curious if you would like to, you and Harry of course, would like to meet Ronald and I in Hogsmeade for dinner."

Hermione gasped and tightened her fingers in his hair, Oh...God, she whispered. "Ummm...s...sure," Hermione managed, and Luna grinned.

"Alright then, six then at the Three Broomsticks," Luna said brightly, she licked her lips, and glanced down to Ron, who to all appearances was still unconscious. "I'll let you get back to letting Harry have his lunch..."

"LUNA..." Hermione gasped as the mirror wavered and Luna's image vanished.

A moment later Hermione forgot all about her mortification and almost everything else as Harry tossed the blanket back, nudging open her legs enough for him to lay between them totally.

Her head flopped back against the headboard, as Harry started his ministrations in earnest. Her eyes fluttered almost shut, glowing from within, as a wave of magic shot through her, causing her to shudder in place, squirming under him. She mewed quietly, as he sped up, one hand sliding up under her shirt to cup her breast. She squirmed, moving down the bed until she was almost fully on her back, her head propped just enough to watch the inky head of hair as it bobbed in her lap, in time to the jets of fire shooting down her nerves.

"Harrriieee," she gasped as she felt her stomach tightening, her heart racing as flashes of color danced in her vision. He worked his way to the top, and nibbling lightly on the nubbin he had long since located there. Soft mews slowly became a continuous moan as his tongue flickered. Her hips bucked against him, trying to fight the hand that was holding down her hips.

He smirked against her lower lips and paused for an instant, before he slowly slid his hand down off her hip, and slipped it between her legs, trailing the tips over her thigh before slowly slipping them home. Hermione gasped his name as she crashed, bucking upward against his face as her inner walls clamped around his fingers.

Something shattered in the room as her world went black, her vision fading away. Her thoughts floated for a moment, languidly caressing his mind as she concentrated on the link, her soul residing in his body as much as hers.

Her sight came back slowly, in jumps as if the air she was panting in was bringing it along. She lifted her head and smiled at him softly.

"Am I forgiven?" Harry asked, trailing his fingers up and down her thigh.

Hermione did not answer directly as she sat up and shucked the sweatshirt she had put on earlier, any chill long since gone. She pulled him to his knees and kissed him, tangling her fingers in his hair, as she deepened the kiss. She broke away with a loud gasp, suddenly needing air, before she grabbed his hand and licked his fingers, like a cat with a dish of cream.

She giggled at the hooded expression she found in his eyes, right before they lit from the outside in. How much time do we have before we have to meet Ron and Luna? He pulled her to him, letting his fingers trail along her him, possessively.

Honestly...at least two-three more times, they are always late anyway.

*******************************Hogwarts*********************************

4:35 pm

Giggling, Harriet danced along the edge of the lake in front of Sirius. She stopped and looked to each side, as if to verify that they were indeed alone, before resuming her dance to music that no one else heard. As they had noted when they walked outside, nearly a half hour earlier, they were still the only ones that had dared the winter weather, but Harriet had said she wanted to go and Sirius had agreed.

He watched as she played in the snow at the edge of the lake, with soft flakes falling slowly from the sky, dusting her ruby hair with white stars. Smiling, he slipped forward, stepping through ankle-deep drifts to stop next to her, and collect her from behind.

She managed to spin around without breaking contact, her laugh dying as she looked up into his face, Sirius having grown several inches since the start of the year. Reaching up she watched as he looked at her nervously. "What's wrong, Sirius? It's too cold for Ecruts," she snuggled closer, burrowing herself inside the warm, furry lining of his winter cloak.

"I ah..." he shrugged and stepped back from her, burying his hands deep in the pockets of his cloak.

She cocked her head, and even though she was still fully human, her ears seemed to flick, as she let her attention focus on him, "What, Sirius, did I forget to look to see if there are Banded Grandlecrofts about again?"

He shook his head, and reached into the pocket of his cloak pulling out a long, flat box the size of a wand box. She looked a question and he shrugged, sheepishly, "I ah...got you something....but it's kinda stupid, really...kinda a dumb idea really-"

Sirius started to slip the unopened box back into his pocket only to be stopped as she darted forward and grabbed his hand. "No, I'm sure that it's...I mean you got it..." she took the box as he handed it over without another word.

Harriet opened it slowly, and gasped quietly, before she looked up to Sirius, "You got this for me?" She slowly closed the box and started to push it back towards him, only to have him push it back at her.

Harriet looked back at him and slowly reopened the box as he took a breath, "I...ah....You're so gorgeous in cat form-not that you aren't just as pretty in human form-I mean, um-"

"Can you put it on?" she asked handing him the box and turning around, holding up her hair, as she looked back over her shoulder at him.

"It's not really meant for you to wear as a human," he broke off as she pouted, just slightly, and he shrugged, stepping forward and pulling an inch-thick, soft, black leather choker from the box. He slipped the box into a pocket and lifted the gem-encrusted collar up over her head and set it about her neck. He held the ends together at the back of her neck and waited as they sealed themselves.

She spun as he let his hands fall away and jumped up, barely giving him time to catch her as she kissed him, tangling her hands into his hair, and wrapping her legs around his waist. He staggered back as she deepened the kiss, gasping into his mouth as it fell open at the touch of her tongue.

Harriet slowly pulled back, gasping faintly as she let him hold her up, trusting him not to let her fall. She leaned her head on his shoulder, not noticing or not thinking it worthy of notice of the faint flow of magic lightening her mass as she snuggled against him. She kissed him once more, quickly, before slowly dropping her legs back to the ground, and pausing a beat while her breathing slowed.

She walked to the nearest tree, and flicked her wand at it. Instantly, a full-length mirror appeared on the tree, and she grinned as she admired the collar in the mirror, her fingers tracing over the alternating emeralds and rubies inset in the band. Rocking back and forth on her feet, she watched as the faint light within the gems shifted, and she looked back over her shoulder as Sirius came up behind her and hugged her.

"I love it," she muttered, "thank you, Sirius." He smiled, suddenly relieved, though her earlier reaction should have more than put away any thought that it was unappreciated. She touched a ruby with her fingers, smiling as she noted it matched her hair, or fur, almost exactly. She cocked her head to the side, considering, and reached in through her cloak and drew her wand from the sheath riding her thigh, "But it's missing something."

Concentrating, her nose scrunching rather cutely, Sirius thought, she muttered some long spell, and pointed her the tip of her wand at her throat. A flash of light, and a small, heart-shaped silver pendant appeared hanging from the collar. She turned and stepped into Sirius, holding it up for his inspection, "Like it?" she asked, almost nervously.

Reaching forward, Sirius' eyes misted as he read the inscription:

Harriet...if found please return to Sirius Potter.

"Yeah, I do, a lot."

"Good," she replied, her eyes shimmering for some reason as well as she took his arm in both of hers, "cause I'm not taking it off." Harriet looked up towards the castle and back to him, as both of their bellies grumbled in unison. "We should probably get something to eat...I kept you from breakfast and lunch," she announced quietly, and he leaned forward to kiss her forehead.

"Wherever, M'Lady leads," he replied, and started to retrace their half-vanished steps in the snow, headed back to the castle, though at the moment, he could not imagine that it could be possibly as warm as he was right here, in the middle of a snow shower next to a frozen lake in the Highlands of Scotland.

*****************************The Three Broomsticks************************

6:25 pm

Harry kissed his wife on the top of her head and slowly sat next to her, dropping four butterbeer bottles held by their necks on the table in front of her. She took two, handing him one and returning his kiss quickly, and settling comfortably at his side as he slipped his free arm around her waist.

She squirmed slightly, just enough to ensure that his fingers were resting on the skin of her waist and closed her eyes. After a minute or twelve, she looked back up at Luna's near giggling face, as the blonde blinked back at her slowly from her comfortable perch in Ron's lap.

The four of them were squeezed, rather comfortably to be sure, but still squeezed into a ostensibly two person booth in the corner of the crowded Wizarding Pub. As it was still Valentine's Day, the bar was packed, mostly with Hogwarts Couples, and not a few older ones enjoying the warm atmosphere of the pub. Hermione closed her eyes as she let her head fall over to Harry's shoulder, and took a drink without moving.

She opened them as a crash came from somewhere in the main part of the bar and a auburn-haired girl stood from a cozy table for two, and slowly picked up her bright orange drink and poured it over the head of her dinner companion. Hermione vaguely remembered that he played on Hufflepuff's team. The girl grabbed her cloak, and draped it over her shoulders, before heading out the door.

The Hufflepuff player dug in the front pocket of his jeans, tossing several galleons on the table before running after her, forgetting his own winter cloak in his haste.

Hermione looked back to her own table as Ron made a disbelieving noise, "What?" she smiled as Luna stared into her drink.

"Do you suppose that they spike the drinks with Pendelton's Passion Root, this time of year?" Luna asked suddenly, turning slightly on Ron's lap, "I think I'm rather randy."

"Again?" Ron muttered, disbelievingly.

She nodded eagerly, and leaned up to whisper something in Ron's ear. He flushed, and his eyes flicked down, peering down the open V of Luna's top. She nodded again, and reached down in between them to dig in Ron's front jeans pocket.

Her hand emerged a minute later, to Ron's visibly expressed disappointment, with a tube of gloss and she opened it while squirming around to face the other couple adroitly. She applied it, even as she looked up and to the left. She watched as an errant LoveMessenger-a small, vaguely Cupid-shaped contraption that the Hogsmeade Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, a wholly owned subsidiary of Weasleys' Wizard Enterprises, was selling like hotcakes-shot across the ceiling and crashed into a wall.

"I wonder if she's added Calamari on the menu," she stated suddenly, looking back down quickly to a printed card lying before her on the table.

"Luna," Hermione interrupted, causing the blonde to look up from her musings about the culinary fate of cephalopods. Luna cocked her head slightly, and Hermione glanced to the side, before looking back, "What's up, what did you want to talk to us about?"

Luna twisted to replace her gloss in Ron's pocket, "Oh," she replied after a drink of her beer, "I was thinking that white flowers, maybe lilies, would be wonderful for Harriet's bridal bouquet."

Harry spat out a slug of his beer; fortunately back into his bottle, as Luna smiled beatifically.

Hermione reached up to pat his back, working her tongue around the inside of her mouth, "Luna...as far as I know, they aren't even engaged-"

"Oh, I know, but I thought it would be pretty," she took a drink again, "and there is something wrong with Draco."

Harry shared a quick glance with Hermione, "In what way, Luna?" he asked carefully, knowing all the while it could be an infestation of Pyridinians, or something.

Luna's expression hardened, "I finally ran into him yesterday in Hogwarts, alone. I had not been in his presence since I got back, without anyone else there...something is clinging to him. I would say it was a Turbid Ectomorph, but one doesn't normally find them outside of Argentina."

"What do you mean?"

Luna shrugged, "Well the Maroon-Speckled Snapdragons, that are their main diet are only found in the mountains of-"

"I meant Draco," Hermione replied patiently, sharing a quick eye-roll with Harry, which she did not even bother to hide.

"He's not that interesting really," Luna replied airily, "I mean Ginny claims that he shags superbly, but I don't really trust her, at least about that." Frowning, she looked examiningly at Harry, "No, she never shagged Harry, so I doubt she knows...and I know she didn't Ronald-"

"Luna, luv," Hermione interrupted, with a brief pause to elbow Harry in the ribs, "what about Draco."

She shrugged, "His aura seems weaker than it should be, like bits of it are being bled away. I wonder if he has been sniffing potions for too long. Snape used to have the same thing, then he lost his head, and he really didn't have any aura at all." She took a drink and shrugged, "I think I'll just have some of yours, Ronnie."

He nodded and motioned over the barely out-of-Hogwarts girl that Rosmerta had waiting tables and gave his order, roast mutton, along with a pile of potatoes.

She left after taking the Potters' dinner orders, and Hermione waited until she was several steps away, "It's not the Mark is it, Luna?" Hermione shrugged, "Draco still has it, though I can't imagine what would trigger it, even though Bella is still out there it was keyed to Tom."

Luna shook her head forcefully. Slowly all playfulness leeched out of her eyes as she looked back over her shoulder, towards the castle that loomed over the village. "No, Sis," Luna replied flatly, "I could see the Mark on Snape's," she almost spat the name, "arm when I was thirteen, but Dumbledore told me it was nothing...I believed him then. It's not the same."

There you go, next chapter, a calm before a storm.

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34. Chapter 33: With Aforethought

Yeah, it's been a while sorry, I've been busy. This isn't the longest chapter or the most action packed, but it's the next chapter might make up for it...Thanks to Lady Starlight for her gracious work on this chapter, it is appreciated.
Chapter 33: With Aforethought.
******************************Hogwarts*********************************

February 20, 2016. Saturday

Harriet laughed brightly as she ran down the hall, spinning in place, and causing her skirt to swirl up under her open winter robes. "It's mine," she called back to Sirius, holding up a piece of parchment with her likeness on it.

"Harriet," Sirius called after her, "come on, I-"

Emilia laughed, and shook her head as she pulled Xander past the couple towards the Great Hall and an overdue dinner, as she along with the reborn DA had had training following Quidditch practice all morning. "Harriet, luv, hurry up, all of the roast beef will be gone." She tugged on Xander's hand, pulling him down a set of stairs just before they started to pull away from the landing.

Sirius glanced at the now empty landing, and then back at Harriet. "And where are you going now, Love?" he asked, smirking as he slowly approached to trap her in a corner of the landing's railing.

She glanced down as he gently pressed her back against the stone balustrade, her fingers lightly playing on the silver charm hanging from the jeweled choker she wore around her neck. Her hair was tied back into a high tail to better show it off. "We really don't have to go to dinner, Sirius," she murmured, her eyes fairly smoking as she let her fingers drop from her tag to press flatly against his chest.

"I thought you were hungry," Sirius mentioned, even as his arms slipped inside her robe, to run along her back, rusting the white cotton.

A quiet purr escaped her throat, carrying to his ears alone, "I am...but I missed you last night, Sirius. Can we just have the elves bring us something?"

He just nodded, letting one hand slip out from under her robe, to cradle her head to his shoulder for a beat. "If you want, I could have Dobby pop out and get us a pizza if you'd rather. Or something else."

"Don't care," she replied, "whatever you want."

"I don't care either, really, you decide."

"No, you."

Sirius sighed faintly, "Alright, we'll just get a pizza or something...what do you want on it?" he asked as he took her hand and started back in the direction they had just came from, towards Gryffindor Tower. They passed a darkened side hallway, leading to a dead end, which had been closed off since Erik the Irascible had blown it up in sixteen-twenty-two, neither looking to the side as Harriet leaned into him and vanished out of sight.

A patch of air shimmered as a slivery cloak appeared and was swept to the floor. A pair of girls, both in the casual jeans and jumpers that even the most diehard Pureblood had adopted for normal weekend wear. The one on the right turned a head of fluorescent red hair to the other, who was shaking slightly as she clenched one small fist.

"She will have to be removed, Naomi," Maraisah said softly, resting her hand on the floor near the other girls' knee as she crouched with her hip to hers. "You can claim him, once he is away from her influence."

"But how," Naomi spat darkly, looking down the darkened corridor towards the direction where Sirius and Harriet had vanished. "The blood-traitor bitch has him under her thumb."

"Then we will have to be make sure that she loses that thumb, then won't we?"

***************************The Burrow***********************************

Arthur Weasley yawned as he stepped into the still slightly ramshackle master bedroom of the Burrow, to find his wife standing at the window looking out over the magically tended lawn.

She glanced back at him, and smiled, before she turned from the window to walk over to the bed. She picked up a bright blue dress on a wooden hanger and held it up in front of her. "What do you think, Arthur?" She shook it back and forth, "Will this due for the dedication, Tuesday?"

Arthur's expression slipped slightly, "About that, Molly...It might not be the best thing for you to go." She scowled and he made a vague gesture as to calm her, even though he knew quite well that such an outcome was precarious at best.

She let the dress settle back to the bed, "Arthur Weasley, I will have you know that I purchased this dress just for this. Why would I not go with you, I go to all your speeches?"

He sighed, pulling his glasses off and polishing them off on his sleeve absently as he walked past her to look out the window at the scene she had been observing a moment earlier. "It may not be safe, Molly."

"Arthur Weasley," she growled as she dropped the dress back to the bed and faced him, her hands falling to her hips automatically. "I will have you know that I was just as involved in the war as you were, I am not about to let a few bigots scare me away."

A dreadful, cold feeling settled over his bones, as he shook his head and stepped forward quickly, and hugged her, letting his glasses fall to the now, more-or-less, straight floorboards. The soft snap of the lenses breaking was lost in her squeak as he tightened his arms, "No, Mollykins, I don't suppose that you will."

**************************Hogwarts**************************************

February 21, 2016
4:32 pm

Dumbledore sat back into his plush leather chair, situated behind his vast desk, and sipped from a steaming mug of chocolate. A shimmering portal hung in the air in front of his desk; through it he could plainly see a hidden cove on the shore of the frozen lake, a spot that was not visible from the castle itself. He watched, a pensive expression hidden behind his beard, as he watched a redheaded girl slowly spinning a dark staff as tall as she was through a series of basic blocks and attacks.

Several of the younger Gryffindor girls sat on a magically cleared log, huddled together in the winter cold as they listened to Harriet describe a basic counter. Gaheris was sitting next to the girls, his massive head resting across Virginia and Kristina's laps, and accepting their absent ear scratching as only his due.

"She is fitting in nicely, these days...much more stable than her mother was at her age," McGonagall's burr pronounced from near the door as she entered without knocking. She transformed in mid-stride to a small, grey and black cat, and padded over, pausing occasionally to examine closely a pair of mouse holes, before she stopped next to his desk and transformed back.

Straightening the severe bun, that her still-black hair was wrapped up in, she leaned forward to watch as Harriet smiled at something one of the girls said and walked over to pull Virginia and Kristina to their feet, upsetting mightily her own familiar, before she handed each of them a plain, padded wooden staff. "Of course, I think that if Luna had not lost her mother so early, she would have been in my house."

"You no longer have a house, Minerva," Dumbledore reminded her wryly.

A crooked eyebrow was his only reply.

"We will finally have a direct link between the Weasley and Potter clans," Dumbledore went on, almost absently as Abigail stood and kicked at the ground, catching another plain staff as it flew up. She leaned against the inch-thick piece of oak a good foot taller than herself, and watched as Harriet tried to get Kris to actually attack Virginia.

He dismissed the scene with a wave, as McGonagall snorted, "And that has mattered since when?" She scowled slightly and looked to the window, and then back to him, "However we may have another issue, besides the yearly pool...Draco's absences are getting rather frequent; something is afoot, Albus. It's almost as if-" She paled, and Dumbledore shook his head.

"Draco assures me that he is merely attending to matters of his House. I believe he is rather preoccupied with trying to reestablish himself, at least to earn back the assets that his father frittered away with his support of Tom. As preoccupations go, I suppose it is not the worst, at least his appears to be an effort to secure his children's future."

"He was a Death Eater, Albus."

"Draco only performed as such to protect others. I am convinced that he does not seek that path to power; he has too much to lose. He has seen the consequences of that course, and I can not foresee any incentive for him to return to it. It would set him against the family he has finally found, even as fractious as they may be at times," he added, and she frowned as the faintest trace of uncertainty came to her ears, audible only to those who had known the old curmudgeon for the better part of a century.

"You have been wrong before, Albus," her voice soft, unassuming but still pointed. She glared back as twinkling eyes met hers, "That bloody twinkle will really get you killed someday, Albus, especially against an Occlumens that is not as forgiving as the rest of your staff. His shields are much improved these days, aren't they?

"There was a time when nothing happened in this castle that I was not aware of," he admitted after a moment, "when the meddling of an old man had not driven even my allies to do their best hide their secrets, secrets that frankly I do not care to learn. But yes, there is always the chance that I am incorrect. However, I do not think that Draco would ever, willingly, have anything to do with the darkness. Not when he and Ginevra came so close to losing everything because of their choices."

Abigail whistled to herself as she skipped down the seventh floor hallway. An occasional giggle escaped the barely-fifteen-year-old girl as she thought of Elliot's expression last night as she pointedly dropped into his lap and started to read a large book that she had borrowed from her de facto cousins. He had turned a shade that she had only seen achieved in her or her mother's hair as she watched the moving illustration.

Her hair, currently a bright purple with streaks of gold, suddenly cycled through the rainbow as she remembered what had happened next, and the faintest remembered taste of blood touched her tongue. Abby took a deep breath, settling herself. Her hair turned cerulean from the roots outward and braided itself into two braids, one on each side of her head Fangs that had started to drop as her heartrate had inexplicably soared, slowly retreated back to merely human proportions. Damn hormones, she moaned to herself as she took another look around and glanced down at the front of her jeans for a beat. Why can't I be sixteen already? Damn you, Mum, she added half-heartedly, her thoughts flickering back to a conversation where both her and Tonks' face had matched their matching magenta hair, where the older Lupin had pulled her into her lap and explained the exact consequences of crossing that invisible line.

She smirked slightly to herself as she took a deep breath, catching on the faint draft; the scent of one who's was already inexorably entangled with hers. But at least there are a few other things to be about...I wonder if Elliot really needs to eat dinner? She whistled tunelessly as she conjured a mirror in the hall, and looked down at herself, and scrunched up her nose.

Slowly, not quite as quickly as her mother would have managed it, anyway, the jeans and loose, heavy jumper she had worn to practice dueling in, changed. The jumper shrunk, tightening to outline her newly sprouted curves, as modest as she, herself thought them. A wicked grin fell over her lips as she looked further downward and watched as the tattered jeans shrunk and blended together, changing into a loose skirt that quickly receded up her legs. The hem passed her knees, and suddenly started to shrink at an increasing rate.

"Bugger," she shouted to the empty hall as the skirt suddenly shrunk enough to show pink knickers with a pair of fuzzy Kneazles. She muttered a rather vicious curse under her breath, one more suited to Sirius' namesake than her own father, before she forced the hem back down by an act of will until it rested just above the middle of her thigh. "Perfect," she grinned to herself and banished the mirror and resheathed her wand in a sheath that now rode her bare thigh, half concealed under the fabric.

She spun on her heel, her trainers making a soft squeak on the flagstones, and headed quickly towards the Room of Requirement, where, judging from her nose, Elliot, Sirius, and Justin were currently training.

Rounding a corner, she stopped short as a flash of magenta caught her eye as a robed witch stepped out from another passage wearing a faint scowl on her face. "Mum?" Abby called out after the witch who paused and looked back towards the small teen, "what are you doing here?"

"Oh..." Tonks replied as her scowl slowly faded as Abby padded closer. "I had a meeting with...Flitwick."

"What about, Mum?" Abby smiled and wrapped her arms around her mother. Tonks glanced down and returned the hug after a second, before she let it go.

"Oh...some old charm that I needed to look at, nothing to be concerned with," Tonks replied briskly, and stepped back. "I need to get back, I'll see you later, baby..."

"Sure, Mum," Abby replied, frowning faintly at something. Her nose twitched, "Mum, that's an odd perfume....not your normal..."

"Wotcher," Tonks sighed, "Your dad got it for me, I wore it for him....it sorta sucks doesn't it?"

"Yeah..." Abby replied.

"Well I should be going," Tonks said and hugged her again quickly, almost as if to make up for earlier, "I need to get back to the house, your Dad will be cooking again if I don't."

"Sure, bye, Mum," Abby replied and watched as her mother shrugged and walked off, giving her a small wave and vanishing around the corner.

Abby sighed heavily, and glanced down at the floor before continuing on towards the Room of Requirement. She turned a corner and reached it just as the heavy oaken door opened and Justin and Sirius stepped out, followed a minute later by Elliot. All three of them were rather sweaty, having just finished a three-way practice duel.

Abigail bit her lip absently as the first two boys walked up to her.

Justin reached up and mussed her hair.

She growled at him, as the locks flowed back into place, and stuck her tongue out at him as he laughed. She stuck her noise up in the air slightly and sauntered past, to grab Elliot's hand, ignoring Justin as he called after her.

"Aren't you a touch overdressed for dinner, luv?"

"I think I'm rather perfect," she replied haughtily, as she slipped under Elliot's arm.

"Aren't you afraid of getting sweaty?" Sirius asked, grinning faintly, "He does kinda stink."

Elliot rolled his eyes and Abigail only spun into him, snuggling up to his front and burying her face in his t-shirt, "Yeah, he does," she answered quietly, her voice gaining a soft growl, as her fangs dropped and her eyes grew dark as night, both hidden from view by the damp, red fabric of Elliot's shirt.

Both of the others laughed and headed off without a further word, as Elliot glanced down. "They are right, Lupa, I do." He let his fingers trace up and down her back for a beat, before stopping at the small of her back to push up the black cotton until her could touch her skin. "You're hot, Abby."

"I know," she smirked, "I get it from Mum."

He laughed, "No, I mean you are hot," his voice took on a concerned tone, "you aren't sick, are you, I can go get..."

Abigail shook her head, "Nothing we can fix until I get older," she muttered and stepped away from him. He reached up slightly to cup the side of her head and let one thumb stroke her cheek as fangs retreated and eyes became merely human again. Taking his hand, she pulled him back into the Room of Requirement, and waited as the door closed behind him.

The room instantly reoriented itself into a cozy copy of the Gryffindor Common Room. She let his hand drop as she walked over to the single loveseat that had appeared in front of a quietly blazing fire. A coffee table faded into view between it and the fire, already covered with a small feast. She looked back at him, shrugging as she clasped her hands in front of her and rocked back and forth on one foot.

"Can we just skip dinner with everyone else?"

"I really need a shower, Abby," he objected quietly, even as his eyes slipped up and down her body. Her right hand at her throat drew his eye as she played with the zipper of her jumper before he forced his gaze back to her eyes.

She looked to the right, pointedly and a new door appeared. "Then go take one, I'll be..." she weighed something as she continued to look at the door and her expression grew longing. "I'll be right here waiting." She spun and dropped to the couch, looking over the back at him, "Well, go take your shower, I really don't want to eat alone."

"Alright," he replied, surrendering with a gesture and heading for the room.

Her eyes tracked him the entire way, and a great sigh escaped a small body when the door closed behind him.

She kicked off her trainers and socks, and waited, snacking idly from a plate of mixed fruit that had never, naturally, appeared in the British Isles, while the flames continued to burn merrily in the conjured hearth. Abby looked up as the door opened, letting out a small cloud of steam along with Elliot. He walked back over to her, carrying his trainers and socks in one hand and dressed in his now, magically-clean workout clothes.

Abby waited impatiently as he dropped to the seat next to her, before she crawled into his lap. She brought her legs up, and curled comfortably, not bothering to worry what he might glimpse as she settled in. Glancing up, she smirked knowingly as she squirmed a bit more, until he groaned helplessly.

A half-hearted glare met dark eyes, and she sighed quietly, reaching up to pull a blanket from the back of the couch over both of them. "I'm sorry," she muttered, without bothering to mention what for. She looked down as she grabbed his hand, her fingers looking absolutely lost against his. "If it'll make you feel better," she grinned, still looking down, "I'll be thinking of you...tonight."

Elliot groaned, and closed his eyes trying to fight that image, even as Abigail giggled softly. He wrapped an arm around her, and shook her lightly, which only increased her giggles. "Damn it, Abby..."

She looked up, "I can't do that, yet, but I'd be willing to do," she took a breath, "most anything else," she added quietly.

"Abigail, I-"

She frowned and spun on his lap, until she straddled his legs, glancing down she fiddled with her skirt before just leaving it where it had ridden up, "I'm a witch, Elliot...and besides that...Xan and I are much, much more lycans than I think either Dad or Mum, realize." Abigail sighed and shook her head violently. Her bright blue hair unbraided itself and darkened from the roots outward, becoming a shimmering shade darker than night. She reached up and scrubbed her hands through her now utterly natural hair, at least as much as anything was natural on her, "Unless you betray us a lot more than you could ever possibly do so to me, we mate for life, Elliot."

He coughed quietly, as a faint flush darkened his neck, "Abby we haven't-"

She shook her head, "We haven't had sex, Elliot," she demurred softly, her voice quivering. "I chose you when I asked you out to Hogsmeade that first time. I think had already decided before that, and I was really hoping you fancied me too. Cause," she grinned for an instant, "cause you really smell good."

"Thanks," he replied, rolling his eyes, "I think."

"You're welcome," she replied, laughing and squirming further on his lap as she pushed up the sides of her jumper and started to tickle her mercilessly. The laugh slowly died as she felt him react to her, separated only by a few thin layers of cotton. Swallowing, as she felt the sudden rush of pheromones hit her like a hammer, she let her fingers drop very, very lightly to just in front of her thigh.

Elliot reached up and pulled her head into his shoulder, holding her absolutely motionless for a long, long minute.

"Thanks for the compliment, Elliot," she whispered, trying to be playful but failing for some reason. "Even though that is a little scary."

"Scary?"

"I'm a very small girl," she explained tightly. "Probably a good thing that I'm a metamorph, I suppose." She smiled at his paling face, and leaned forward to kiss him. A heartbeat passed, before she deepened it, flicking her tongue against his in a quiet battle. Pulling back as her world wobbled slightly, from lack of oxygen, and just possibly the blood thundering in her ears, Abigail let her head rest on his and watched as his eyes regained focus.

Elliot did not say a word, as he stared into her eyes, watching as they darkened, before he picked her up with the hands that were still on her waist, his fingertips nearly meeting, and set her to the side. She cocked her head slightly, and he felt his heart plummet as faint silver beads started to gather in the corner of her eyes. "Oh, Merlin, no, Abby," he whispered as he grabbed her again and kissed her quickly, before stroking his fingers along the side of her head. "I just can't...remember how to talk when you are on my lap."

"Ok," she whispered faintly, mollified.

He took a breath, and half turned on the couch. Elliot reached to the side and down, to grab his wand from near his trainers and held it one hand. "Grandmum...she gave me something," he said, swallowing, before he flicked his wand and a small, velvet box appeared in a flash of light. Her eyes grew huge, possibly more than normally possible considering her abilities as he dropped his wand and grabbed her hands in one of his.

"Elliot, I...we're....I mean..."

He snorted, "It's not that, Abigail Annette...relax." She laughed nervously as he went on, "But it is sorta similar." Elliot opened the box with one hand, revealing a small silver ring. The ring was actually composed of at least a half-dozen fine strands of silver wound into a twisted knot that circled on itself to form the band. Nearly microscopic blue and red runes were carved into the strands, each too small to see with the naked eye, but still, somehow easily readable as one turned the ring.

Elliot took the ring out of the box, and held her left hand in his. His thumb danced over the back for a moment, before he slid the ring on her finger. It resized to fit her with a small flicker of light and she gasped a heartbeat later as a rush of fire raced down her nerves. She collapsed forward to be caught by him.

Waiting, he rubbed her back in small circles, as his lycan girlfriend forced herself back to human. The warmth of her skin was now evident even through her jumper. "That ring...is the Longbottom Family promise ring," he murmured in her ear, smiling faintly as she whimpered in reply. "We are too young for the engagement...or other band I want to put on there someday, but for now that will have to do...If you'll have me that is."

Abigail nodded mutely against his shoulder.

"Brilliant...You're right you know."

"In...w...what?" she replied, her voice choked with quiet tears.

"I chose you a long while back...I'm sorry it's taken this long for me to show everyone else that they are never getting their hands on my lupa." He kissed the top of her head, "The other will come, I promise you, I'd wait forever for you..."

"D...do you want to do anything tonight?" she murmured, looking up at him through her hair, which had fallen in her face, her control tenuous at best at the moment over anything much past breathing.

Elliot slowly moved until he was lying down, the loveseat stretching to accommodate him automatically. He pulled Abigail down to lie in front of him, spooning back to his chest. "Want, yes, will...no...perhaps tomorrow, or maybe a year from now, but tonight I just want to lay here with you." He smirked, "You don't think that Gina and Kris will miss you, do you?"

Abby laughed, "No, I doubt they'll even notice I'm gone."

Potter Keep, Godric's Hollow
February 22, 2016
11:35 pm

Hermione leaned back into the strong chest behind her, and let her head flop back, onto his shoulder. His arms tightened around her, as she pulled tight the thick, furry and most importantly, warm blanket that she had brought with them to the top of the tower. A huge, full moon hung low in the sky, glinting off her eyes as she watched the stars silently.

She took a shuddering breath as he drew her hair over one shoulder and kissed her spine. Glancing to the side, she watched the moon for a moment, reflected in the lake between them and the house, "I wonder how Xander and Abby are doing tonight?"

Harry smiled slightly, perfectly comfortable under the blanket and warming charm, "I'm sure that Em has Xander well taken care of, and I'm sure Abby is fine as well, love."

"What about Harriet, she's-"

"Most likely illicitly cuddled with your son, Mione," Harry replied, grinning behind her as another thought raced through her mind. "And between them, I am sure that Rain, Harriet and your actual darling daughter have defeated the wards on the girls stairs, so Justin has probably joined Rain by now."

Hermione sighed petulantly, and crossed her arms, "Am I turning into-"

Molly, no, you actually listen to what your children think, Harry replied as he brushed her hair behind an ear.

Hermione gave him a half smile back over her shoulder, Thanks, Harry.

Anytime, he picked up a mug of cocoa from the rooftop next to him and took a sip before setting it back down. You aren't liking this dedication any better than I am, are you?

Hermione shook her head and shrugged helplessly, Honestly, the timing sucks, Love, Remus won't be good for much tomorrow, really. Tonks is never at her best the next day either, and we have, what ten Aurors to cover that whole Alley?

Yeah, since we had to send that compliment of twenty to Hong Kong...and then another thirty to the continent to help with that set of Dragon Poppy raids. I don't have enough Agents to cover.

Unless you want to cut back on the teams working Death Eater leads, Hermione put in thoughtfully, reaching over her shoulder and taking his mug. She took a drink and yawned before settling back into his arms. I tried to get Arthur to push it back, twice, but you know him, he's as stubborn as his wife.

And Gryffindor enough to put Godric to shame, yeah, Harry agreed with an exhaustion born of too many years pushing boulders uphill.

There you go....Next chapter something happens that some of you have been begging me to do for years.

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35. Chapter 34: An Unforseen Loss

Ok, kids here we go. Happy Birthday, Hermione. Thanks as usual to Lady Starlight for her work on this chapter, it is appreciated.

Chapter 34: An Unforeseen Loss
**************************Diagon Alley***********************************
February 23, 2016
10:45 am

Hermione appeared on the flat roof of Gringotts silently and walked towards the ghostly cloaked figure standing at the edge of the roof, mostly behind a oddly shaped parapet, that gave the impression of many sharp teeth. She vanished mid-stride, disappearing into invisibility just like the other occupant, that only she could see.

How are we doing?

Harry glanced over at her, and then back out over the expanse of Diagon Alley. A large crowd was gathered around the front of a marble-faced building, across from Gringotts and down a pair of blocks. They faced a large, raised stage set in front of it, under a large, animated banner proclaiming the opening of St. Seiya's Clinic for Extra-Human Medicine.

The new, small hospital was just a tiny fraction of the enormous one across town, but unlike St. Mungo's, it was designed to treat all of the magical races. From water tanks for Merpeople, to miniscule beds for injured House Elves, the new clinic was equipped to handle their medical needs, and for free, as many of them could not pay the fees of the main medical hospital.

The Foundation for Interspecies Tolerance, a non-profit organization with mysterious origins, had raised several million galleons for this enterprise, mostly through the donations of several large contributors, Weasleys' Wizarding Enterprises among the most notable, along with a few, large, private contributions.

A few hundred meters away from the stage, which was surrounded by dozens of reporters, Harry lifted a set of issue Omniocculars to his eyes and scanned the crowd beyond, finding witches, wizards, a few dozen pre-Hogwarts age children, and a few owls scattered beyond that. A small delegation of centaurs was looking to each side, nervously, while a pair of House Elves, mounted the stage, waving to the crowd as if they were rock stars.

Alright, Harry replied, handing her the Omniocculars, without looking over, Tonks and Baker have the close watch on the stage. Hermione nodded silently as she glassed over a tall, brown-haired woman who looked nothing like Tonks, and a short, stout man with a perpetual scowl. The pair stood back and to each side of a currently empty podium, as the house elves, a roan-colored centaur, and a merman in a large, clear tank took positions to each side. The other two main prospective customers of the clinic, Lycans and Vampires, were at a slight disadvantage as the ribbon cutting was both in the middle of the day, and the day after a full moon.

Even Remus Lupin, who had mastered his transformation years ago, was only moderately functional at best, and so had been left behind at the Ministry.

Hermione glanced over as a double crack carried to her ears, and Arthur and Molly appeared next to the stage. Hermione frowned slightly, and an annoyed look fell over her eyes, as Molly followed Arthur up the short stairs to the stage.

Harry glanced over to receive a small shrug, before Hermione continued to look about. Do you want to get lunch after this, before we head back? Harry asked idly as his eyes and other senses continued to scan the crowd. A brief flicker of, something drew his gaze towards the crowd of reporters next to the stage, and he sighed as Rita looked around, her dyed bright golden curls visible even at this distance.

Sure, Hermione replied, as Arthur finished shaking the hand of the pair of house elves, both of whom looked as if they were about to suffer fits of apoplexy at the thought that the Minister of Magic had touched them. How about that new Italian place down at the other end to of the Alley, across from the Twins'?

Harry nodded, and let his magic reach out, to hear Arthur's words as he took the podium.

"Today," Arthur said, smiling and waving back at the building behind him, "We dedicate a new facility to the needs of our magical brethren who have been ignored for so very long because of our own short-sighted views. This new clinic, which will provide desperately needed care for the races that are not easily treated at St. Mungo's will be the first of what should be many, spread throughout Britannia." He paused and looked back at the thick, gold ribbon wavering slowly in a faint breeze, and back to the crowd.

"It is only through the dedication of the Foundation for Interspecies Tolerance, and many dedicated contributors, and volunteers, that we are able to open this facility today. Please join me in a round of applause." Arthur led a moderate applause for a few minutes, and nodded as it slowly died away. "But for now, let us get to what we are here to do." Arthur turned, and drew his wand with a flourish. "Diffindo!"

The ribbon fell away in two glittering pieces to more applause as Arthur slid his wand back into an inner pocket of his robe as he regripped the podium. "Now, as my aide promised earlier, I will take a ffew questions." He sighed as a bejeweled hand lifted, "Yes, Rita."

She smiled, the expression one that would be more at home on a shark than anything, "Is it true, Minister, that the Ministry is abandoning the investigation of the attack on the Hogwarts Express to prevent criminal action against Abigail and Xander Lupin? Abigail has been implicated in attacks against other children, is it true she is feral at best..."

The tall, brown-haired woman stiffened imperceptively, as Arthur glared at Rita, cutting her off even as Tonks took a drifting half-step forward, "Rita," Arthur said coldly, "that is uncalled for and outlandish, even from you. Next question."

A wizard in a top hat and a purple cloak raised his hand, even as Rita tried to shout out another. "Andrew Gilson, Quibbler Today....Sir, though it is obvious that the children had nothing to do with it...can you give the public an update on the status of the investigation?"

A silver jet outraced the hiss-crack of its passage, and Tonks spun to the ground as a spray of red splashed up, dousing Molly, who was next to her on the stage. Screams filled the air as the crowd's rough cohesiveness, suddenly collapsed in a mad rush to escape. Harry glanced over to Hermione and vanished, following the loud crack of an apparation three buildings over. Hermione followed, her heart in her throat, even as cries of "SHOOTER," and "AUROR DOWN" filled the ether, courtesy of the earbud in her ear.

Her wand tracked across the empty rooftop that her and Harry had jumped to, following the backtrack of the curse that had dropped Tonks. She shook her head and ran to the edge of the roof, to look down as the crowd milled in every direction, every person moving away from the stage as quickly as they could...save one.

Rita smiled darkly, and lifted her wand. A silver bolt snapped across the stage, just as Molly spun to her husband, taking a step around Tonks as medics rushed to tend to her.

She collapsed with a soft sigh, her eyes rolling up in her head as a neat, charred hole appeared in the blue fabric of her dress, just left of center, even as Hermione's Disarming Charm shattered her attacker's wand and hand. A half-dozen blue bolts hit her killer, blowing the reporter into charred chunks, but far too late, even though at best a pair of seconds had passed.

Hermione vanished and reappeared next to Arthur, grabbing him and pulling him bodily off the stage, fighting his cries and struggles as he fought to move to his wife's side. Harry appeared on the stage and slashed his wand down, throwing up a seemingly solid barrier that blocked even the daylight from passing. He pushed past Tonks, noting in an oddly-detached fashion, the perfection of the shot that had taken her out of play. It had slipped in through a gap in her dragonhide vest, to slice a hole in her shoulder.

A glance at the Auror medic kneeling next to Molly gained only a slow shake of her head, and a cold, heavy feeling in Harry's gut.

Harry felt Hermione vanish along with Arthur and three or four of the other Aurors as another ten appeared, called from everywhere. A pulse of magic snapped out at his call, staggering everyone in a hundred foot radius, and he paused for a beat, reading the returns.

Satisfied that the threat had passed, he knelt next to the giblets that had once been a rather annoying reporter and waved his wand over the corpse. Frowning, he waved it again, "Bloody fuck," Harry muttered feelingly, taking a staggering step back as the spell impressions of polyjuice and the Imperius appeared in response to the Forensic Charm. He looked up as Wendel appeared with a soft POP and knelt next to him, his team appearing behind him, right behind the response team that had sortied to the Alley at the first cries of an attack.

"Harry-"

"Shut it down...shut the whole, fucking place down," he growled lowly, and at least twenty Aurors, rushed out into the crowd, casting anti-Apparation charms, and shouting for people to stop, even though everyone know that it was already too late.

Far away, at the very edge of the alley, a cloaked figure slid a wand back inside its sleeve and spun in place, vanishing silently.

*******************************Hogwarts, Great Hall***********************
11: 45 am

The Great Hall, as it was most days at this time, was filled with the clank of utensils against plates, the thump of goblets onto eighteen-year-old house tables, and the murmured voices of several hundred conversations. The head table was empty, with Albus Dumbledore visiting an old friend, not long for this adventure, a happenstance that occurred more and more these days, Minerva McGonagall somewhere in the Transfiguration wing working on a project and most all of the other professors absent as well.

In fact, the only staff member actually there was eating in the midst of his house.

Neville Longbottom, the wizard whose own family had pushed him out windows in a desperate attempt to bring forth his magic, who had once been the laughing stock of the school in many ways, had become in his maturity one of the most popular Heads of Gryffindor in the school's long history. He laughed at some joke that Virginia told from across the table, as she sat next to Kris, whose face held a small, happy smile as she leaned against the redhead.

Neville looked down at his Shepard's pie to hide the rolling of his eyes as the pair made moon eyes at each other. He glanced up and to his right to find the rest of the Potter/Weasley/Black clan shouting back and forth across the table at each other. He shook his head as Emilia flicked her fingers and a whole chicken rose on its legs and started marching across the table towards her brother as he laughed at something.

Neville narrowed his eyes and sighed heavily as she turned her head, just right, for the sunlight coming in from a high window to catch the cat whiskers that had sprouted under Emilia's nose. He watched as Harriet's hand flashed down and enchanted a line of goblets to form a barrier between her boyfriend, and Emilia's avenging squadron of roasted chickens.

Watching as Emilia's lead chicken knocked over a Goblet, Neville let his gaze flicker over, past Xander to the tiny, currently black and red-haired girl sitting next to him, looking hungrily at the chickens. Neville had known both of the Lupins since moments after they were born; his wife had actually delivered Abby at St. Mungo's when the Obstetrician on call had refused to deal with a 'feral'.

That healer had lasted all of two more days at the hospital before he was fired, learning too late that the odd witch carrying a "hellspawn" was actually, variously, one of the Ministry's top four agents, the wife of the Chief Auror, and the 'big sister' of the slayers of Voldemort.

Neville was silent as he watched the small girl, young woman, really, reach forward and take one of the chickens from the field of battle with a large fork. She gave her Head of House a huge grin before she ribbed the chicken in half with her fork and a large knife and started to pick the meat off the bones with her fork. Neville watched Abigail eat with her left hand, the silver of the ring there glinting, with a hunger that more than confirmed that the full moon had just past.

"Oi, Dad," Elliot called as he past behind him before stopping behind Abigail.

She smiled and leaned her head back, to receive a kiss that Elliot probably should have taken points for, before the younger Longbottom sat next to her opposite Xander, who gave him a nod, before returning to watching his mate's vengeance for her whiskers. Abigail glanced over at Neville, as if checking, before she rested her head on Elliot's shoulder with a sigh and continued eating, at a reduced rate, as if his mere presence had been sufficient to assuage her hunger.

Neville sighed and looked back to his meal, just as Emilia's chickens managed to defeat Sirius' walls to capture his plate. Neville took a bite, musing on if he should even bother to pretend that Abigail, the now fifteen-year-old, who was probably his daughter in about three years, was not going to be sleeping in Elliot's room at Longbottom Manor most of the summer.

He was weighing even having Simmy prepare Abigail's room, even knowing what he would probably hear from his mother on the subject, who occupied the opposite wing from the once where he and Parvati, along with Elliot, had their rooms, when the flapping of wings drew his gaze upward. He frowned as a single owl slipped in the windows high above and started to circle.

The fork in his hand rattled to the table in the next moment as the owl dived out of the bright sun, and he saw that it was not brown-but black as night. It circled about the Gryffindor table as the conversations in the hall slowly died, before it fluttered down to a stop in front of Andrew.

The senior Weasley there swallowed and reached forward with trembling hands, pushing aside his books and notes for his Transfiguration exam later that week. He plucked the small parchment from its leg, and slowly read it, before refolding it and slipping into the inner pocket of his robe.

"It's Grandmum," Andrew said, his voice soft and vaguely trembling. "There was an attack on Diagon Alley...She's dead."

*******************************Gryffindor Tower**************************

February 24, 2016
1:00 am

Xander looked up from the book in his lap that he was not reading by the soft white light of his wand, as the curtains to his bed moved, parting just enough to let Emilia's pajama-clad body to slip in. "How are they doing, Em?"

She shook her head, and wiped bitterly at tears that were pooling in the corner of her eyes before she kneeled in front of him on the bed, and slowly reached up to cup his cheek. Emilia swallowed once, as if to clear a frog in her throat before she started to stoke the ball of his cheek with her thumb, "Kris has Virginia calmed down, I tucked them in before I came up," she whispered, "Lawrence is being brave and working on homework, while Andrew is sitting up with Abby and Elliot in the Common Room. Elliot said he would get him to bed when he finally passed out."

Shrugging she glanced down, "I can feel Harriet with Sirius right now, so she's alright. And Bob, if you can't tell, is snoring to your left," she added with the faint trace of humor that she had left to her. "How's...your, Mum?" she asked, letting her hand drop to his lap and take his.

"Pissed off, sick, but she'll be alright, the Piercing Charm was a through and through, she'll be able to reform her shoulder now that they have her blood replenished, as soon as she can get enough protein in."

Nodding, Emilia looked at the partially opened curtains, and waved her hand at them, closing them fully. A soft, white flash lit them as privacy charms took hold, and she looked back to Xander. I need you tonight, Xander...really...please...

He nodded, his nose flaring unconsciously as her scent filled his nose, Let me get my stuff, we can...

No, Emilia said quickly, no...she peeled out of the battered sweatshirt she had slipped on after a too-long shower, and just as quickly, pushed her sweatpants down and with a quick shimmy, off, leaving her nude before him. She pushed the clothes off the bed to fall on the floor outside of the coverings, before rising on her knees to kiss him, pushing him back against his headboard.

Her fingers trailed down until they found the edge of his shirt, twisted in it and pulled it off with one hurried motion. Emilia's lips were on his a heartbeat later, almost desperately, as she flicked her tongue until he opened his mouth to hers with a faint growl. What about...

They already know, and I don't care, Emilia replied, pulling back to meet his gaze until he nodded quickly, even as his eyes grew dark.

A floor below, or rather two, as the tower had decided to alternate boy, girl floors sometime last night, Sirius looked across the room towards his bed. He met Harriet's faintly glittering eyes as she huddled under a blanket, from his seat on one of the window sills overlooking the grounds and a corner of the Quidditch pitch.

She held up the blanket as he walked back over to her, and slipped under the covers next to her.

Waiting as Harriet made herself comfortable, which involved wrapping her body around his until her heart was separated from his only by the faded fabric of a pair of sweatshirts, Sirius looked around the room quickly. Lawrence nodded at him from his bed. "You alright?" Sirius asked as Harriet rolled even more on her belly and pushed his knees apart with one of hers.

"I'm fine," he replied, his face stoic as he sat up in his bed on top of the covers, his Defense text open and in his lap, with notes beside him, "Go to sleep," Lawrence sighed...I'm going to go sit in the common room. Work on Uncle Ron's exam for Friday."

Sirius nodded mutely as Lawrence grabbed his wand from his bedside table, tossed the books and notes into his leather knapsack that he retrieved from the floor next to the bed and walked out of the room without another word. Sirius did not bother to mention his belief that he rather doubted that there would be class in at least Defense for the remainder of the week. As the Professor, along with a good portion of the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw houses would be gone to a small glade near Ottery St. Catchpole. The door closed quietly behind Lawrence and Sirius slid down the bed until he was lying flat on it.

Harriet mumbled something that included his name, and wrapped herself around him even closer, and started to shake again. Sirius stroked her hair, watching as the red strands, whose dozens of ruby shades he knew as well as the number of fingers on his hand, tumbled through those selfsame fingers. Waiting as he let mind tumble through the myriad of thoughts he could almost hear dancing along the surface.

"I...I should have seen it," Harriet whispered darkly, her eyes staring past his shoulder at the dark grey stones of the tower walls. Vaguely, she could see the dance of countless magics along the fabric of the school, a vision that normally would bring a smile to her face as she watched the colors swirl. Tonight, she just felt sick and closed her eyes, burrowing into the one she trusted more than anyone, even her parents. "I was mad at her...she wanted to take me from you..."

"It's not your fault, Harriet."

"I didn't want her to die," Harriet whispered, tears dampening his shoulder as she trembled like a leaf caught in a gale. "Did I? Was it because I..."

Sirius swallowed heavily, and pressed his lips to the part in her hair for a long minute, even as he forced down the reaction to her, as her bare leg moved between his absently, though an act of sheer will. "No, Harriet, you never could do that," he whispered, trying desperately to remember the embarrassed conversation he had found himself in with both his mother and Luna over the Christmas Holidays. Neither of his-mothers-had doubted his devotion to Harriet, but both had also bemoaned the utter lack of proper education about true, human seers, at Hogwarts.

"You know it doesn't always work like that, Love," Sirius replied, "it wasn't like you went in a trance...and you didn't know to look."

She sniffed, "I look around you...sometimes...I don't want to miss something and you get hurt...I can't lose you, Sirius...please..." Harriet pressed harder into him, and she looked up into his face slowly as she felt him loose the battle with his other brain. A fresh sniff came from her throat, as she reached down under the blanket and grabbed the hem of his sweatshirt.

"Wh...what are you going?"

"I don't want to wait," Harriet whispered, "I'll take the chance for you..." she let go of him and reached down under her own sweatshirt, one that she had stolen from his trunk an hour or so ago in lieu of pajamas, and slipped her thumbs into the waistband of her knickers. Which was the only thing she wore below her waist. She started to slip them down, only to be stopped as two larger hands cupped hers and slowly drew them out, before lacing their fingers together. "D...don't you w...want to...." she stammered quietly, her lower lip vibrating.

Sirius leaned forward and kissed her, before slowly letting go of her hands to rest his together at the small of her back. He felt the vague tingle of the temporary tattoo that Harriet had spelled there of a lion cub the night before last under his fingers, and started to trace his fingers in circles. The cub bounded after them around her back, as Sirius fought his hormones down. "More than you can imagine," he whispered, "but I'm not risking you, not risking us, for that."

"I'm sorry," she whispered, "I didn't..."

He rocked her against his shoulder; "It won't be that much longer, Harriet, I promise...you already have my soul...you just have to wait another month or so for the incredible body that goes with it. A teary giggle greeted his half-jest and he pulled her chin up until he could kiss her again.

*****************************Ministry of Magic***************************
2:15 am

Harry Potter had watched entirely too many people in his life suffer under the cruel malaise of bereavement. He had watched as thousands mourned Albus, even though he later proved alive. He had stood in silence as Marge bawled at him, years after the fact, for a man who had deserved no mourners, had had received them anyway. He had held his wife as she shook in his arms, as his first magical friend, first friend really, was set alight on a pyre the size of a bonfire; one eminently suitable for a man of his stature-and size.

The Ministry of Magic was alive at this late hour, in reaction to events that had unfolded a few miles away, on the backside of Soho. He looked out through the open door of his office as Aurors rushed by, or dropped off hurried reports that told him absolutely nothing.

Harry glanced to his right as Hermione appeared silently, with a small duffle tossed over one shoulder. She waved towards the door as she tossed the bag down on his desk causing it to close and lock with a soft whoosh. "Here, Harry," she said tiredly as she walked over to the comfortable couch in their office and dropped onto it. She reached up and back to tie back hair still damp from the shower as she watched Harry pick up the bag of clothes, and dig into it.

You could go get some sleep, Harry, she said as she watched him change his shirt, finally switching the one that had still been covered in soot and the psychic residue of death and destruction.

He shrugged and changed from the dress slacks he had been wearing to a pair of worn jeans, No I couldn't. He stepped around the desk as he finished fastening his jeans and dropped on the couch next to her. He stared at his hands, keeping his gaze down as she pulled him into her shoulder and started to play with his hair.

Harry sighed quietly, letting her nails scratch his scalp, and closed his eyes. He took a breath as the events of yesterday morning flitted by, and let them fall open again. Holding up his hand, he caught a thin folder as it shot over to him, We got something from the night desk at the Quibbler right after you left. The Prophet got the same thing, though they weren't as forthcoming.

Of course, Hermione replied darkly, and opened the folder, what is this?

The actions of today were unfortunate, but unavoidable. It is the Minister's and the Ministry's own fault that such measures were necessary. It is unconscionable that the Ministry of Magic would support the same creatures that attacked our children not a year ago.

There will be more acts of retribution until all of our righteous demands are met. First, all dark creatures employed by the Ministry will be immediately sacked and placed under arrest. Second, any Dark creature that is encountered in the wild should be executed on sight, as our ancestors did, this includes any halfling child. Third, we demand the immediate arrest of Arthur Weasley, Harry and Hermione Potter, Albus Dumbledore, Nymphadora Tonks and any other members of the current administration that have advocated the rise of these foul creatures from the muck that they belong in.

There will be no negotiation of our demands. You have one month to execute on them.

Signed,

The Sons of Ulrich.

"Lovely," Hermione sighed and tossed the folder and it's scrap of parchment to the coffee table in front of her. "Is this real? Honestly? They can't be serious."

Harry shrugged and stood from the couch, feeling her eyes on him as he paced around the room. "Intelligence says that they are a...minor splinter group, they've only done a few minor actions in the past, mostly graffiti and the like on halfway houses and such."

"And you believe that they are the ones responsible?"

Harry shrugged without looking back at her, "Bugger all if I know," he replied as he scrubbed his hands through his hair. "As far as the ones downstairs could tell, the group only had about ten or so for membership. We know there were two hitters there, one that hit Tonks and a second under Polyjuice disguised as Rita. We identified her as Thelma Gillette, she had a moderate file of things like Muggle-baiting, theft, a prostitution arrest, she was a Madame for a small house in lower east London, and a couple of other minor things. "

Where did we find Rita?

We haven't yet, I sent a team to her cottage outside of Glastonberry, but they didn't find her. It looked as if she hadn't been there for a week or two. Dead and the body Evanesco'ed, probably, I'd guess.

Hermione shrugged slightly, I wasn't her biggest fan, but...

Yeah. He looked up, in the direction that a few floors away, a very tired man was staring into a long cold coffee cup.

**************************Hogwarts**************************************

February 24, 2016
4:25 pm

"How are you, Ron?" Hermione asked as she stepped through the press of his rapidly-emptying sixth year class as they rushed out. She met Emilia's eyes for a beat, and shared a tired smile, before Em pulled Harriet along by the hand, with Xander following close behind.

Ron shrugged as the door closed behind their children, "I'm fine, Hermione...I guess." He looked towards the door where his daughter had just vanished, "She's not...I guess she's thinking that she could have seen it before it happened. Her mother is too. Even though Luna holds a grudge like you'd not believe once you finally make her mad, she's...not happy."

"Yeah..." Hermione replied, shrugging as she hopped up to perch on a study table near the front. She looked down at the battered trainers she had slipped on entirely too early to contemplate this morning, as she swung them back and forth and back up. "Sirius told me, this morning, he didn't want to say anything, but I guess she cried off and on all last night."

"I really didn't want to know that she was shacking up with my only daughter, Hermione," Ron replied wryly, an almost smile briefly dancing across his face.

"If you didn't know that...you really do have the range of a teaspoon," Hermione retorted with a faint smile. She pushed off the desk, and walked over to Ron, watching as he continued to stuff papers into a battered leather briefcase.

He stopped with a snarl and drew his wand, vanishing his briefcase and the papers in a purple spiral of light. Ron carefully slid his wand back under his robes, into a hidden sheath, and sat back into the leather desk chair. He placed his elbows on the desk and cradled his head in his hands.

"She wasn't the one who was supposed to die, Hermione," Ron whispered darkly, his voice rough with lack of sleep. "I was as mad at her as I could ever imagine, when we found out what all she had been up to. To try to take Harriet away from you and Harry, when we had expressly said she was to be with you, her little snits with Gina, Abby, the rest...But still, she wasn't supposed to be in danger...that time was over. All the time Luna and I were gone, at least we knew that everyone back here was safe, safer than were anyway."

Hermione walked around the desk, and hugged him, wrapping her arms around his neck as she half bent down. He froze for a moment, before turning enough to return it. She pulled back after another moment, and wiped absently at her own eyes.

"Are you going to be alright, Ron?"

"I suppose...I got past Charlie and Percy, Bill's attack...I should be fine, Gryffindor to the core you know." He smiled grimly and shrugged, standing from his chair as if he was much older than his actual years, "Harriet, Luna and me are going to head to the Burrow tonight after Dinner...I called off class for the week, Dumbledore said he'd take next week if I wanted it."

Hermione nodded, squeezing her eyes closed tightly, "Harry and I...anything...anything at all, Ron..."

"I know sis," he replied, bending down to kiss her cheek quickly. "Just catch them...and kill them. Kill every fucking one of them." He took a breath and straightened, walking stiffly from the room leaving the door open behind him.

Hermione swallowed, and walked to the leaded glass windows over looking the grounds. Fingers started to trace the lines of the panes, "We will, Ron, we will."

******************************Black Manor*******************************
8:15 pm

"We should get going, Gin," Draco murmured as he walked up behind the diminutive redhead and wrapped his arms around her as she looked out a plate glass window onto the grounds. A single thestral from the Malfoy's old herd padded past, his nose sniffing for blood, and Ginny shuddered.

Draco bent down and kissed her neck, finding the way easy, as her long, red hair had been cropped short, falling just below her ears. "Why did you cut your hair, Red...you haven't had it this short since the war."

She shrugged and moved back against him, as she buried her hands into worn jeans, "It seemed the thing to do." Ginny pulled out of his arms, and walked forward to the window. She pressed her hand to the cold glass, "Did he poison the boys, Draco?" she asked plaintively.

He shrugged, "The best the experts that I could contact, who would be discrete, and that would take Galleons to keep it silent, is that it didn't migrate to either of them, from the blood sample that he had...it's in ours." He sighed and gripped his left forearm, as if a sudden, remembered pain tore at his skin. "But he says its already bound to us, hiding in our magic, gathering strength...before it eats at us like a Muggle cancer, collapsing our organs...They guess, June or July, if we are lucky," he growled. "As long as we don't get the antidote by the start of June...if we wait past that, it won't matter."

Ginny nodded. "I don't want to lose you, Draco," she whispered without turning from the window. "I don't think that I could take it if I lost you, too." Her hand shook, "Charlie, Percy...Mum..."

"It'll mean we have to run, Ginny," Draco replied as he came to stand behind her again, turning her around and letting her bury her face against his jumper as she started to cry again, her eyes had not been dry, really, since Tuesday. "We won't be able to take the boys, they will have to stay behind; we may never see them again. We will be on the run for the rest of our lives, if there is any contact with our old lives, it will be at the point of an Auror's wand...and they won't be arresting us, not after that. "

Ginny nodded fitfully, "I know...but at least they will be alive."

"At least we will be alive, if only for a while."

A/N: And there we go, next chapter, Farewell to Thee

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36. Chapter 35 Farewell to Thee

A/N: Still going and going.....Thanks to Lady Starlight for her work on this chapter it is appreciated. As usual I own nothing really.
Chapter 35: Farwell to Thee
******************************Hogwarts**********************************
February 25, 2016
4:00 pm

The cry of a species unseen since the Miocene era in these longitudes carried over the grounds and sky of Hogwarts. A thousand feet above the frozen waters of the Black Lake, a dark dot circled, flapping huge wings occasionally to regain altitude as golden eyes scanned across the ice, hoping for a break in the white floe.

He wheeled in the air, and tucked his wings, dropping at an insane velocity, straight at a slim, black-haired girl standing on the shore. The eagle's wings flared only feet from her, to pull up with just the tips of his yellow talons ghosting through the nimbus of her raven hair.

She rolled her eyes and tucked her hands deeper into the handwarmer pockets of a dark grey Muggle parka festooned with many more pockets. A velcro'ed patch on one sleeve displayed a silver sword held vertically over crossed black wands, with a silver and grey American flag attached over that. Soft clouds rose from her nose as she let dark blue eyes track the progress of her Familiar through the sky, as he swooped and rose, crying out again with a faint complaining note.

It's not my fault, I can't exactly control the weather, she shot upwards, only to receive an almost...huff. Ignoring Skree as he complained again, Rain looked back over her shoulder as another black-haired girl joined her. "Hey."

Emilia nodded, and huddled in her own parka, "What's wrong with him?" she nodded towards the bald eagle still circling. She shrugged, "He still thinks he should be able to sleep in your room, cause if its that, Harriet and I don't care, and Cassie can just sod off, she's never there anyway."

"No," Rain sighed, "though that will make him happy...He's spoiled." She glanced up as a sense of disagreement retorted along her Familiar link, "Yes, you are," she snapped into the air. She looked back to Emilia, "No, he doesn't want rabbit or squirrel or something...he wants fish. It never freezes over at home, or at least not totally, usually. So he can get fish year round." Her hand blurred to the sheath riding her thigh and a blue bolt snapped out to impact the ice two hundred meters from the shore, sending chunks of ice and water skyward.

A brown and white dart ripped downwards from the heavens before the last of the chunks had finished falling, and wings flared as talons flashed, before they beat heavily, lifting the nearly eight-foot wingspan back into the air with a struggling salmon in its grasp.

"Rain--"

"Yeah, I know," she replied, shaking her head, "I'm his enabler." She rolled her eyes as her eagle dropped the large fish on the snow in front of her, and settled on her shoulder with a gentleness that would have amazed any Muggle. Emilia had more than once watched the bald eagle, who was a larger than most of his kind, settle on Rain's shoulder with only a thin t-shirt between the deadly talons and her flesh, or even if it was during the summer, only bare skin under his feet. Rain reached up and ruffled the white feathers on his head, "Yeah, I love you, now go eat, dufus, I'm cold."

He launched from her shoulder, and landed next to the struggling fish, which stopped struggling with one quick swipe of a yellow beak.

"How are you, Rain," Emilia asked as they both watched the bird eat. She paused, "How's Justin?"

Rain looked over at her, and shrugged helplessly. "Honestly?"

Emilia nodded.

"I'm fine, it's not that I don't feel terrible about it. I mean I do for him, but I wasn't exactly the closest to her. I didn't want her dead of course, or even hurt in any way, but she never exactly went out of her way to even so much as make me feel welcome, not really. I guess she didn't think I was good enough for her grandson."

Emilia frowned, "Was she really that bad to you?"

Rain sighed and shrugged, "More that she was cold, never wanted to even seem to consider that might actually care for Justin as opposed to just being there cause I thought he was cute...and his dad was rich. Shit, Em, I don't give a fuck about if Draco has managed to rebuild their fortunes, Dad and Mom aren't exactly hurting for money, and even if they were...It wouldn't matter." She closed her eyes, "I'm a bitch, aren't I?"

"No, you are just a very honest person...sometimes too much so, but I love you anyway," Emilia replied reaching over to hug her taller best friend. She tightened her arms as Rain shook slightly under her arms, though Rain made no sound otherwise. She took a step back, watching as Rain silently composed herself and glanced away for an instant.

"Are you going to the Burrow tonight or tomorrow?" Emilia went on after a minute, letting Rain re-summon Skree to her shoulder and start to pet him.

"I'm going to Portkey to Justin's house tonight along with Anna, they are staying there tonight...too many people at the Burrow, I guess. I was just feeding the glutton here," she stroked Skree's feathers affectionately, as he squawked at her, "I guess I'll see you tomorrow, sis?"

Em nodded, and Rain gave her a tired smile and kissed her cheek, before walking slowly back towards the castle and the Portkey to her grieving other half waiting on her.

*****************************Burrow************************************

10:00 pm

A door opened in the front of the ramshackle dwelling, spilling heat and light onto the cold, white snow. A single, thin shape, bundled in a white, furred cloak stepped out onto the lawn with a faint crunch of the snow under her boots and headed out, aimlessly, moving over the blue-lit snow.

She did not notice, or did not take notice of the pair of grey eyes that followed her from a window; before the curtain flopped back down to obscure the view. A whistle from pink lips, unadorned as was her usual, by any enhancement carried over the lawn and a large white four-legged shadow appeared at her side between breaths.

Harriet glanced down at Gaheris, and scratched him behind his ears. He had been her near-constant companion since she was four, when Luna had found the single, pure-white cub moving timidly along the base of the damaged Ravenclaw Tower of a castle a thousand kilometers and a universe away. Somehow, her mother had known that the wolf was meant to be her daughter's Familiar, and she had presented the animal to the then quite happy little girl.

I love you, Gaheris, Harriet said softly, and he rubbed up against her leg before he bounded ahead in the snow, stopping several dozen meters away, to wait for her. She followed, striding through the mid-calf deep snow to him, and glancing back towards the house to find that the spot the wolf had chosen was out of direct sight of the house.

Harriet bent from the waist to kiss his fur between his ears before straightening and pulling out a folding mirror from her pocket. She flipped it open and hit one on the small inset keypad below, and waited as a moiré pattern filled the small surface.

Thirty seconds passed, and with Harriet becoming more nervous by the minute, before a head of disheveled black locks filled the screen, and lightened her heart. Sirius blinked slowly, his eye unshielded by glasses, looking directly into hers from across space and she suddenly forgot how to breathe. She gasped through her teeth as she felt herself responding to him, before she tamped down the reaction guiltily.

Sirius slipped on his glasses, he had been napping from what she could see of the background of his headboard. A hand brushed his fringe out of his eyes, "Something wrong, love?" he asked, quickly.

Harriet shook her head and shrugged, "I...just wanted to see you," she explained quietly.

"Are you alright, Harriet?" Sirius asked, and glanced around the room he was in, "I can..."

"No," she said, "I just needed to know that you were ok." She bit her lip, "I'm sorry, I'm being silly."

"I want to be with you too, Harriet," Sirius replied, "If I could get Mum and Dad's trick of Apparating at Hogwarts...I would be."

"Really?"

"Give me ten minutes to be free of the wards-"

"No," Harriet said shaking her head, "If you did...we'd end up going too far. You were right the other night, it's just a bit longer...I just want you in my head, all the time."

Sirius snorted, "I don't know that I want me in my head all the time...but yeah, I know what you mean."

Harriet slowly brought the mirror up and kissed the cold glass, before pulling back to find Sirius' amused expression, "I am wearing that little, tiny red set, Sirius."

He groaned, "Damn it, woman." He flopped back on his bed and rolled to his side, positioning the mirror on the pillow next to him, the one that in his mind, his soul, that Harriet should be occupying every night instead of the occasional evening. "They'll all know what I'm doing when I close these curtains."

"We agreed," Harriet pouted, "none of that unless I'm helping." She shrugged again, "Besides, I'm sleeping with mum and dad."

"That sounds so wrong," Sirius laughed and then his expression softened, "Are you really alright, Harriet? I will be there, we can get a sleeping bag and kip out on the floor, we don't have to do anything, I..."

"No," she shook her head helplessly, "that would risk being plagued by estases all day, since I'm sure mum's aura will flare because dad's near, and it would cross ours, and then we could just have a disaster."

He nodded, and reached over to stroke the edge of the mirror as if it were her cheek, "The offer stands, any time, any place, Harriet. I will come to you." He swallowed, "No matter what."

She nodded, and closed her eyes, "I know, my Prince. I'll see you in my dreams tonight, I love you, Sirius."

"You too, good night, Harriet." His image vanished as he closed his mirror slowly, reluctantly, and Harriet let out a huge sigh before walking back into the bleakness that she had fled minutes before.

**************************Burrow***********************************

February 26, 2016
10:00 am

The sun shone off unbroken fields of snow surrounding the old house. A series of folding chairs where arrayed in several rows on either side of a carpeted aisle. The chairs were already half filled with an array of wizards and witches, dressed nearly uniformly in black, as a patch of air wavered to one side behind the chairs, to solidify into five black cloaked figures.

At least a dozen Aurors spun instantly before they lifted their wands and continued looking around the area randomly, ignoring the Potters as they slowly disbursed.

Sirius, and Emilia hugged their parents and Sirius slipped off to find Harriet, while Xander slipped his hand into Emilia's automatically.

Hermione looked up and back as Harry's hand shook in hers, and his eyes closed as flickers of memories, of Dumbledore's premature service, of Hagrid's and Moody's services. Of the desperate fighting to hold off Voldemort as he attacked Charlie's funeral on the top of a wind-swept mountain. He looked towards the unlit wooden bier set at the far end of the aisle; She didn't deserve this, Hermione.

Most people don't, Harry, Hermione whispered and squeezed his hand, starting to pull him towards seats reserved for them in the second row directly behind most of the Weasleys. She waited for him to sit, directly behind Ron, who turned and gave them a tired, melancholy smile. Then she sat, letting her head fall to Harry's shoulder as his arm wrapped around her waist. They only nodded as Dumbledore stepped past, his robes for once, a deep shimmering black, before Hermione sighed softly. Do you think that Ron will be, alright, Harry?

Eventually, Harry muttered, turning his head to kiss her hair. They watched as Luna whispered something to Ron; her appearance was as tightly controlled as Dumbledore's today, her long hair piled into a severe bun on her head with her black robes making her look tiny next to Ron. He glanced up as Justin and Rain sat a few seats over from Hermione.

Rain gave them a nod, and sat absently straightening the small Black family crest on the left side of her black robes, before she took Justin's hand again, setting it on her lap. A bit of twisted silver and black glinted from her left ring finger and Hermione just pointed the promise ring out with a mental pointer and no further comment.

Emilia and Xander sat down next to Hermione between the other pair, and a faint, quiet sound came from Em's lips. She leaned over and said something in Rain's ear; Rain shrugged and gave her a single nod, receiving a kiss on the cheek in turn from Emilia.

Harriet and Sirius sat down on Harry's left, with Harriet closing her eyes tightly as she fought against the waves of sorrow battering her mind.

Arthur finally walked into the front row and leaned over to Ron, who nodded and kissed Luna, before standing and following his father back out of sight. A sudden silence fell, broken by only the faint murmur of occasional whispers as Dumbledore slowly walked to the front to stop next to a dark, oak podium subtly carved with the image of a phoenix in flight.

Dozens of flowered wreaths were set next to the empty bier, wishes from other Ministers and officials, along with those from family and friends, though only a relative few mourners were here, family and friends of such. Arthur and the rest had not wanted to deal with the near-state funeral that his status might have otherwise afforded.

Dumbledore looked down the central aisle and nodded, and as one, everyone rose as the four surviving Weasley boys walked past with a shrouded body on their shoulders.

Harry closed his eyes for a beat as a flash of Charlie's service, with the same four men carrying a slightly larger bundle.

Arthur followed the four a few paces back, his robes carrying both the Weasley family crest and a small version of his seal of office.

The boys lifted their mother to the plain wood without a sound and slowly filtered back to their seats, settling next to their spouses as Dumbledore waved the mourners to their seats.

Arthur settled between Ginny and Ron, and nodded to Dumbledore.

Before he gripped the podium, Dumbledore took a breath and looked out over the crowd, catching sight of McGonagall, of Flitwick, of the majority of the Hogwarts professors and the surviving members of the Order of the Phoenix, along with the Weasleys and their extended family. "Molly Weasley was, ever since I first met her almost fifty years ago as a first year, a person who believed strongly in family and the Wizarding world-"

Harry, as he had for so many others, let his mind drift as Dumbledore started to enumerate Molly's life, of her seven beloved children, and of the ever-growing number of grandchildren, of her and her family's devotion to the light. No one ever mentioned Percy's mistake. Harry instead let the words flow over him as Hermione settled closer to him, the pair falling automatically into the unconscious defense that had kept them sane through so many others.

Distantly, he heard the soft snuffles of several of the women and a couple of the men in the crowd, even as he watched Arthur sitting stoically in the front, his spine straight and unbowed, even now as several others came to the podium, to stand next to Dumbledore and relate tales of Molly's life. Harry slowly faded back in, after the last spoke and stepped away, as Arthur rose stiffly from his seat and walked towards the bier.

"Incendio," he said quietly, and a jet of fire licked out, catching the dried wood instantly. The deep red flames grew quickly, shielding the shrouded body from view.

Ginny cried out something and quieted almost instantly as Draco pulled her into his shoulder, and white smoke lifted to the heavens from behind the flames.

The bier burned away totally in the span of another few minutes, before it vanished in a whirl of contained magic leaving the ground bare and untouched. A small white marble headstone appeared a beat later with a flash and Arthur slowly turned away, his hands shaking slightly.

The rest of the crowd took that as an ending and started to slowly move away, gradually drifting towards the Burrow and the reception inside.

Harry watched as the kids slowly clustered together, talking lowly and as Arthur walked past with a faint nod, and Bill's arm around his shoulder with Fleur holding his other hand.

Ron walked up, his hands in his pockets and Harry stepped forward to pull him into a hug. Hermione wrapped her arms around them both, and a beat later; Luna joined them as Ron started to shake silently.

He pulled away a minute later and took a deep breath, "Thanks."

"Sure," Harry replied, even as Hermione and Luna shared a look and huddled together. They all watched as the large group of teens slowly meandered towards the house, mostly in couples with a few singletons hanging about the periphery. Anna nibbled on her lip as she glanced over to Hermione, before dropping her head back to Nathan's shoulder and letting him lead her away along with the rest.

"Are you alright, Ron?" Hermione asked quietly as their children vanished into the house.

"No, not really."

**************************Hogwarts*************************************

March 1, 2016
3:35 am

"Umm...that's nice;" Rain muttered breathlessly as she squirmed under the brightly colored blanket that her mother had sent for Christmas, along with a large packet of deer jerky for her and Skree to share. She moaned quietly as fingers that were only in her dreams started to dance along her sides, and up under the loose sweatshirt that she had tossed on earlier. "Ahh....a little lower, Justin..." A gasp and she shuddered, her breathing speeding up drastically under invisible ministrations.

Across the room, Gaheris yawned and dropped his head back down to lie across his mistress's stomach. He wiggled it back and forth until he pushed up the hem of her shirt enough to rest his chin on bare skin and settled down. The rest of the room was quiet, aside from Rain's dreams, and lit only by a softly glowing orb on one dresser that slowly cycled through the rainbow.

Rain whimpered loudly and fell silent, her breathing slowing gradually.

As if Rain's release was a signal, Harriet whimpered, but the sound was somehow much darker than her 'sister's'. It was tinged with fear and not ecstasy, and she started to worm about as if under the pressure of a spell.

Gaheris lifted his head, and watched as she muttered something unheard.

Flashes of green and yellow spellfire filled closed grey eyes, as she watched dark, cloaked figures striding through a dark night, lit oddly green. A tall, red-eyed figure filled her vision, and laughed, before striding away, drawing a wand as he moved with an inhuman grace towards a terribly familiar dark-haired pair.

Harriet cried out as Emilia took a canary spell and crumpled, screaming and writhing on the ground. Harriet tried to move, to go to her friend but couldn't-not before a green flash lit the night, and the sound of a thousand horses filled her ears.

"EM!" she screamed, thrashing on her bed and causing Rain to awake with a start, rolling out of bed and diving for her wand.

Harriet never heard her; as to her, the only sight and sounds were the sudden crash and clash of spells and blades as Sirius desperately tried to fight his way past the red-eyed-one to her, only to be driven back time and again. She screamed at him to leave, her voice echoing in both her head and in the bedroom, only to watch as her entireties fell on deaf ears.

Sirius seemed to stumble and a black blade flashed...A spray of red shot up and she screamed again as he collapsed. The emerald eyes-that she had fantasized about for so long, and that held her every thought for every instant that she was in the same room as him-went dull.

"Too bad," the tall, cloaked figure laughed, as he turned back to her, leaving the bodies of Emilia and Sirius lying in the dust. "Now that that is settled, shall we continue, my lovely-"

Harriet's body arched up off the bed and her eyes snapped open, unseeing as a wave of biting, stinging cold raced out from her, dropping Rain to her knees as her heart seemed to stop for a long moment as the pain of a thousand deaths washed over her.

Yards away, Sirius tumbled out of bed, not quite seeing the way as he staggered to the doorway of his room. His glasses followed him in mid-air, as he nearly bounded down the stairs, bringing the world into focus, unnoticed as they caught up with him at the bottom of the stairs. Calls of dismay from several of the other Gryffindors distantly met his ears as he sprinted towards the girls' stairs, and started up them at a run. He reached the sixth stair and his feet dropped away from him in a rush as he slid back down into the common room on his face.

"Sirius," Emilia snapped, as she appeared at the base of the boys' stairs, looking to him as he wiped away a bit of blood from his nose and charged again.

His feet barely seemed to touch the ground as he bounded up, and then again, and again, bouncing from side to side of the circular stairwell until he reached a landing.

Behind him, the stairs reset as Anna came from her room and muttered a password at them, but Sirius never heard as he vanished into a blur, following the trace of fear resonating from somewhere deep inside.

Rain looked up, having just reached Harriet, as the door to their room burst open and Sirius sprinted in. She backed away as he dove at Harriet's bed, moving straight for it despite never having been in the room before.

Sirius shivered as he picked her up, falling back onto her bed in the same motion even as she instinctively cuddled against him.

Emilia trailed him a moment later, followed by Anna. The pair stopped at the door and stared, as Harriet seemed to fight something before going utterly limp in his arms.

Sirius bent down and kissed her, pulling her tighter against him with one arm as he reached down automatically pull a blanket up to cover her bare legs. He looked up at his sister, and shook his head.

"What happened?" Anna asked, even as she stepped into the room and closed the door behind her, cutting off gawkers.

Sirius looked back up at Emilia and then over at his aunt, "I don't know. She drew on me a bit, I could feel it, but I don't really question any more, she's entitled to whatever she wants..." He trailed away as Harriet muttered his name, before moving on his lap slowly.

"Sirius," she whispered, almost wondrously, as her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at him. "I don't remember going to bed with you, I'm glad I did though."

Rain crooked an eyebrow and looked over at the other two, who shrugged.

"You didn't, Love;" Sirius replied gently, "We're in your room."

She cocked her head, considering, "What day is it?"

"Tuesday," he replied, then after a moment, "the first."

"Then why are you here? We still have to wait thirty eight days," she replied with a shrug. Her hands started roaming, slowly working their way to the waistband of his pajamas, as she licked her lips unconsciously, "But since you are here, we can do..." Emilia coughed, loudly and Harriet languidly pulled her head up, and seemingly noticed the other girls for the first time. "Hello, Emilia, Anna, I am surprised to see you here. I would have thought that you would have been shagging. Excuse us," she reached up to pull shut the hangings around her bed that the girls normally never closed.

"Umm, Harriet," Anna said into the silence, "don't you remember? You just woke up the whole tower with...whatever that was."

"I did?" she asked, and looked back up at Sirius, "that's odd." She frowned slightly and trailed her fingers up and down his t-shirt. "Did I wake you up, Sirius?"

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry," she whispered, "I didn't mean to...I know how much you need your sleep."

"It's ok, Harriet, I know you didn't mean it. Do you remember what happened?"

She shook her head, "No..." she muttered, shaking slightly as she tried to force herself to remember. "Just...red eyes....red eyes."

Emilia shared a look with her brother over Harriet's shoulder, as flashes of stories, half-remembered, filled their minds. She swallowed, "Are you...s....sure...."

Harriet shrugged, and moved off Sirius' lap, she slid off the bed and looked down, at her shirt, and fluttered the damp fabric a few times before pacing to her trunk at the foot of her bed. She set aside Fall of the Dark Lord and Rise of the House Potter, the title of which Emilia noted with an almost grin, before opening the trunk and beginning to root around in it.

Finding what she wanted, she grabbed, Sirius' old Quidditch jersey from last year and closed the lid. She pulled off her shirt, casually, before pulling Sirius' jersey on over torso and shaking out her hair.

Emilia sniggered slightly at the expression on Sirius' face, though it passed as Harriet crawled over her trunk, unto the bed and along the rumpled covers until she could lie down on top of them next to Sirius' leg.

Harriet rolled over away from the other girls to rest her head on his lap, "I'm going back to sleep now," she announced, and closed her eyes.

Anna sighed, and looked around the room as Sirius started to pet Harriet's hair, looking back towards the Head Girl as if daring her to dislodge him. "If you two don't care," she said, looking between Emilia and Rain, who just shrugged. "Fine, just don't make a habit of it." She left muttering something under her breath about the drawbacks of Kedavra-ing relatives.

"I'll stay here for the rest of the night," Emilia announced as she dropped into her bed, facing Harriet, and waved her hand dimming the lights. Rain followed her example, and Emilia yawned, "Just sleep, Sirius."

"Sure, Mum," he replied, as he more or less held Harriet in place as he wiggled down on the bed to get comfortable.

Harriet rolled into him automatically, moving until he had to force down a groan to the accompaniment of the sniggers of the others in the room, before she settled down with her body intertwined with his.

******************************Background notes**************************
A/N:There you go....Now, because I keep getting asked this, here is the explaination for the 16-year-old thing. I normally don't post this stuff but since every keeps asking....here you go...

General social mores, at least in the younger generations, those born during and after the Voldemort Wars are quite close to those of modern Muggle values, with some exceptions. The older generations may often show attitudes with seemingly Victorian Era values, and this difference has caused some visible rifts.

a) Sexuality/Relationships.
As has become more and more prevalent in Mundane society, same-sex relationships are generally accepted within the younger generation. It is not unusual to find, especially in Hogwarts-age near-adults to adults, temporary to permanent same-sex partnerships/marriages (note: there are some spots on the globe that do not recognize these relationships formally.)

Contributing factors to these relationships, at least the formation of them at ages 14-16, are the dual circumstances that a) the typical anti-pregnancy charm does not work effectively with males under 16, (this is both the background to the age of consent, and is not coincidentally the approximate age at which full adult powers are gained). B) Witches under the age of seventeen have a progressively higher risk in an inverse correlation to their age, if they become pregnant, of contracting Gwinella's syndrome, a progressive condition that may and often does reduce a witch's magical potential to that of a squib. Only a handful of witches have been cured of this condition, which can result from the fetus draining the magical core of the witch while trying to establish its own. This condition has only been formally recognized in the last forty years, as before that, the prevailing mores generally treated it as a "just desert" for immorality.

From this, it is not atypical for a witch to experience some degree of relationship with agemates of a "non-platonic" bent, though the vast majority, do in the end marry males. Males may also establish similar relationships, though generally rarer, and they are typically much less permanent. Current studies (as of 2015) state that the segment of the female population (Witch) that admits some degree of experimentation is at ~25%, though some estimates put the segment at closer to ~50%. A recent report by Gilderoy Fledercarb of Berkley College of Sorcery puts this number at ~80%, but the exact poling of his population is very much in doubt (San Francisco). The male population is generally stated at ~5% in most studies, though once again due to historical mores, not much study has been done on this segment.

Due to various social and magical factors, typically most wizards and witches marry in their late teens to early twenties, unlike Muggles where the age may be into the thirties. The typical marriage/arrangement for magic users is the "normal" male/female, though there are scattered instances of polygamous marriages/relationships. Examples: Neville, Parvati and Lavender (deceased) Longbottom, and Gabrielle Delacour, Anita Dell and Micah Blake.

The drive to marry is also exasperated by the "Marriage Bond" a bond that provides anywhere from slight empathetic feelings to ones partner to outright telepathy and cross-body control across bonded pairs (occasionally multiplicities.) This bond may form "spontaneously" or can be invoked with several spells, some of which are used in traditional Wizarding weddings/joinings. Arch-Mage class wizards will typically form such a bond automatically with a "True" match upon coitus or extreme stress.

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37. Chapter 36 Shadows in the Darkness

A/N: Here we go, another chapter. Thanks as usual to Lady Starlight for her work on this chapter.

Chapter 36: Shadows in the Daylight
************************Somewhere Above the Artic Circle*******************

March 7, 2016
11:25 pm

"We are ready then?" the nameless one asked as he slowly paged through a thick tome, not looking up at Bellatrix or Xavier as they stood, almost at attention before him. The dark library that they were in was almost a twisted, mirrored version of the expansive Hogwarts one. Where there were huge, leaded glass and stained glass windows, there were only cold, solid stone walls, some with a thin sheen of ice.

A long, twisted black dagger sat next to the crumbling book, its grip composed of serpents twisted together to form a knotted guard with their tails. He did not look back up for an answer as he picked up the dagger and ran the forked tip along the words in the book, which were glowing with an almost ultraviolet light and in a language that had been dead for several thousand years. He set it back down as he reached the bottom of the page and found an illustration of the dagger, that seemed to slowly morph back and forth between a shining, silvery one and the twisted black one before him. He sat back and reached down to slowly stroke the head of dark, brunette curls resting against his knee.

The young witch, perhaps sixteen or seventeen and nude except for a white fur wrapped around her shoulders, shivered in the cold of the dungeons below the lost Drumstrang keep and looked back up at him, almost hopefully. He smiled slightly, and stroked her cheek, before looking back up at his mother and one of his senior, surviving Death Eaters.

"I do not know why you sully yourself with these Mudbloods," Bellatrix snarled, as she fingered her wand, and glared at the small young woman next to her son. She started to draw her wand, only to watch it fly out of her hand and drop neatly on the table next to the dagger.

"I would appreciate it if you do not curse my pets, mother." He looked down, and patted his leg, waiting as the small women crawled up into his lap and curled into a ball. He started to stoke her side like a large cat, "Bethany has done nothing to deserve that, she is a good girl, aren't you?"

She looked up, dark eyes wavering slightly, "Y...yes, sire," she whispered, her voice trembling.

He smiled, his dark eyes flaring red once before he looked back up at his mother, "See, a good pet." He stoked one breast, causing her to shiver slightly from other than the cold, "There is a vital point that you have forgotten, Mother. They may be inferior to us, but they still have their uses. And as long as they know their place, for them to bear a bastard son or daughter or two...we always need more soldiers for the cause." The 'Pet' looked up at him timidly at his words, and he patted her head, "Return to my chambers, and await me."

She nodded and slipped from his lap, dropping to a knee before standing again and rapidly leaving through a small, side door.

He watched her leave, before crooking a black eyebrow, "The place is ready, then?"

"Yes, M'Lord," Xavier replied quickly, "we have forces watching it, I had hoped to use the Vampires, but they are proving rather...intractable." He glanced to the side, and then back, "It will be ready on the anniversary."

"Excellent, while the fools are celebrating, we will bring about their downfall." He stood slowly until he looked down on both of the others. He touched the tome and dagger and they vanished with a soft pop, before he smiled slowly. "After all, mother, don't you think that the Muggles will make excellent house-elves...You forget, there is little purpose to rule if there is no one to rule. Father forgot that at times."

He smiled slightly and started to walk away, "Launch some attacks, I care not where, perhaps against the Auror school, that would perhaps give us more than one...distraction. Use the terror group that you created for your failure to assassinate the Blood-Traitor. I shall be in my chambers...Do not disturb me."

*************************Near Dover*************************************

March 10, 2016.
10:20 am

Hermione watched as ten exhausted men and women ran past her in the company of a stocky, auburn-haired man that looked as if he had barely broken a sweat. His clothes, unlike the sweat-sodden grey utilities that the cadets were sporting, were spotless-a white t-shirt with the subdued emblem of the Ministry's covert operations branch, over black utility pants with a battered wand in a nylon holster on his thigh.

"Salute," he snapped as they jogged past Hermione and as one, the cadets managed a ragged series of salutes, both to one of their ultimate superiors, and one of the few living recipients of the Order of Merlin, First Class for valor.

Hermione returned a wave, more or less approximating their motions, and continued on the concrete path through the grass. The campus of the Alastor Moody School for Special Magical Operations was laid out as if it were a modern Muggle university. If Muggle universities normally had state-of-the-magical-art training facilities in close-quarters combat, forensics, espionage and other germane topics, of course.

They also offered a rather splendid degree in English Literature.

"Wotcher, already down here?" Tonks asked even as she finished materializing next to her with a soft sigh of displaced air. She watched the cadets continue to move past, "I see my timing held; so I don't have to return the salute again."

Hermione glanced over and snorted, "Bullocks, I remember you morphing into your dress uniform once, just because."

"It's just that I look rather smashing in midnight blue, that's all."

Hermione just crooked an eyebrow, "Why am I down here?" she asked as the pair of them continued past Bones Hall, the home of the Potions department, and named for the former head of the MLE, felled during the last war.

A large, dark bronze statue in the center of a marble fountain rose up from the grass before them, in the center of the large, grassy quad, with the path curving around it. The head of the statue of Grendle the Just followed them as they moved past, and Hermione tossed a Knut into the water in passing.

"The twins delivered the first of the Shadow Suits for training some of the covert side," Tonks replied, "but that's not why of course. And you do know that the kids got the second shipment, after what's hidden in our personal stashes?"

"Yeah," Hermione shrugged, "I figured. Honestly, what did you think they'd do...Fred was fit to be tied after what happened to Gina and Kris...though he agreed with my solution. But those two are the ones that went head on against Umbridge."

"I seem to remember you and Harry having something to do with that as well."

"Not as much as we should have, in retrospect anyway. There are days when I wish I had let Harry go to war with her, much more than we did."

Tonks smiled slightly, "So you are admitting that Harry listened to you even then?"

"He was always the trainable one," Hermione smiled slightly, looking down and flushing faintly as she brushed one curl behind her ear. She shrugged off Tonks' inquisitive look, and started out at a brisker pace, "You never said why you wanted me down here, Nymphadora." Tonks stuck her tongue out at her, and Hermione sniffed without looking back, "Mature."

"Says the girl who holds the record for getting walked in on at the office...Did you get my memo on Marcus Dillon?"

Hermione stopped as a flight of four wizards on brooms landed in the quad, and headed towards a large broomshed. She shrugged as the last of them stepped inside, "Skimmed it, why? Mid-level recruit, educated over in Iceland at their new school, the one that took a lot of what would have gone to Durmstrang, before it vanished."

"Yeah, seems he's a bit of a late bloomer, class two metamorph, if you'd believe it?"

Hermione stopped and looked back at her, "And the school testing never caught it? That's supposed to bring it out....Hell, they knew about Harry and I a long time before we ever did."

"I guess the school never had the tests set up properly," Tonks replied with a shrug, "I wanted you to come down and meet him, see what you thought of him. I'd like to transfer him over to the covert track, but that's as much an attitude as any special talents that you might have in the area."

Hermione nodded, "Alright, I didn't want to be stuck in the Ministry today anyway...It's rather morose these days."

"Yeah-"

Tonks' hand flashed to her thigh, and spun into a crouch as she covered the rear, knowing Hermione already had the front arc covered as the energy discharges of dozens of Portkeys bloomed just outside the wards.

Sudden raucous alarms filled the air, as Hermione rose from her crouch and her head tracked like a turret to the northeast, where she felt the intrusion of dozens of... "Bloody hell," she sighed, "I wasn't sure there was that many left."

"What?" Tonks asked as instructors and cadets appeared running, their wands in hand.

"Trolls," Hermione growled and sprinted towards the northeast, slowing just enough to let Tonks keep pace. "Damnit..." she snapped as she slid feet first behind a large planter set at the edge of the grounds. She took a breath and glanced back as Tonks half-tumbled into place next to her, "I can't reach Harry, he must be in the secure parts of the Ministry. Damn psychic wards," she spat angrily. She swallowed and looked back to Tonks, "We're being jammed on the mirrors, too, aren't we?"

She nodded mutely and stuck her head over the top of the planter, and ducked back down just as fast. "There are at least a hundred of them, Hermione, about a klick off."

"Not really worried about the trolls," Hermione said absently. She closed her eyes and grunted loudly as emerald light slipped from under her closed lids. "Harry will be here soon, remind me to have the ward repair put in this years budget, again."

"You broke them...from here?"

Hermione shrugged, "Harry and I really don't like to be out of contact." She looked to the south, towards the sound of the ocean and the sudden chill she felt creeping into her bones. "I'm more worried about...them."

"Bloody wotcher fuck," Tonks hissed, and looked back towards the school, "We have like four people here that can cast a reliable Patronus...including us."

Hermione watched the tide of blackness approaching over the Channel, and she started to breathe heavily, as almost visible streamers of magic seemed to come to her call, rushing into her. The tip of her ivy-wood wand started to glow, rapidly becoming a tiny star that outshone the sun above. She shivered as faint memories of looking down at Harry through a red haze of her own blood as he seemed to lay dead below her. She shook off the image and focused on another, much more pleasant memory.

"The Twins' new security system was installed, right, Tonks?" Hermione asked lightly, even as she slowly stood and lifted her wand. I love you, Harry...EXPECTO PATRONUM-

A wave of happiness and light burst from the tip of her wand, streaming into a gigantic glowing silver otter, approximately the size of a Hungarian Horntail. "Go," she whispered and the otter swam away in the air, as if it were water. It started to race back and forth along the edge of the white cliffs on which the school was located, overlooking the English Channel.

Distantly, the hissing roar of the Twins' new spellguns carried to her ears, nearly drowning out the cries of trolls as they crumbled as the constant stream of cyan, that the pair of perimeter turrets were spitting out, crashed into them. Parts and pieces of the front line of almost fifty trolls flew into the air along with dark green ichor.

Hermione never really noticed as her Patronus alone-the only one who really could possibly stand off the nearly one hundred Dementors bearing down on the school from the sea, the real spear to the assault-held the rear. She watched as the silver otter slashed through two, three, five of the hellspawn, but still more bore down. Eyes bloomed fully emerald as she flicked her wand straight up in the air, and her otter shot up like a rocket only to flip back a few hundred meters up and race back downward.

The horde scattered like so many tenpins, breaking the solid clump and Hermione smiled grimly, as she pulled a fresh reserve from somewhere inside, EXPECTO PATRONEUM DELATRIUM...

A silver wave of light cracked the sky like lighting dancing on the edge of a summer storm. Loud unearthly screams carried back as empty smoking cloaks slowly fluttered to the ocean far below, or more often, terrible ripping sounds followed by quick flashes of ultraviolet as Dementors...died.

Five, ten, twenty died, before the remainder, perhaps half of the original horde, turned and fled. Hermione spun back to Tonks, leaving her almost-sentient guardian to harry the Dementors from her.

The pair of guns sputtered and died suddenly, the spell accumulators going dry. The remaining trolls, those marginally smart enough to find shelter slowly started to peek out from their hiding places. They rose from behind rocks and shattered trees and out of low spots in the land and charged, huge clubs and primitive swords raised high.

"Go, Tonks," Hermione snapped as she rolled over the top of the planter, and slashing her wand sideways, sending a purple wave crashing out at knee-height to several trolls, cutting them off in a spray of greenish blood.

Hermione sprinted forward and slid into a small ditch, firing a continuous stream of reductors into the advancing trolls. As she caught sight of one a third again taller than the rest, its crude iron and leather festooned with human, elven and centaur skulls, she muttered a rather unladylike oath. A nine-foot troll seemed to melt as she dissolved its bones with a brownish beam.

"Tonks, that leader..." Hermione snapped as fuchsia-haired witch sent a greenish-yellow bolt over her head, sending a troll crashing to the ground and causing a localized earthquake. "I'm going to take him, once I do they should run."

"What if they-" Tonks' jaw crashed shut as Hermione vanished without a sound, "Bugger," she looked back towards the academy grounds where cadets were spilling out of the halls, though much thinner than they should have been as so many were spread out throughout Britain and its possessions with full fledged agents on assignment. "Get your fucking arses in the fight, you wankers," she roared, and rolled out from behind cover, sending purple crescent-shaped waves to either side of her sprinting sister.

A pair of trolls fell to either side as Hermione reached behind her and twin blades filled her hands, extending and growing to two feet or better each as she brought them down to either side like glittering steel wings. They started to glow faintly; flickering bluebell flames sparkling off the alloy in the daylight as she rolled to the side as an iron sword as long as she was tall crashed to the ground just as she reached a ring of trolls surrounding their leader.

Spellfire crashed around her from the school as she flipped over the crash of a wooden club and jammed the point of one blade into it, riding the backswing up. She pulled it and slashed sideways, and then leapt from the shoulder of the troll at the twelve-foot tall leader as her brief launching platform fell sideways to the ground.

Hermione landed on the top of his breastplate, sticking for just the single heartbeat that it took her to scissor her blades inward. She flipped backwards and slashed to each side and four more trolls fell to her power as their chests exploded.

"HERMIONE, DOWN!" Tonks yelled and Hermione dropped instantly as a pair of yellow curses passed though the space her head had just occupied.

Twelve patches of air shimmered and solidified as the trolls' true masters decided to reveal themselves.

Hermione's blades vanished into nothing as her wand refilled her hand, and, as fast as that, there were only ten dark wizards, the first two who had sent the Cruciatuses at her, lost their heads. Her eyes flickered to the side towards an approaching large clump of trolls, as she dodged the attack of a pair of trolls that had snuck closer as she engaged the sudden, more important threat. She killed one almost negligently with a laser-like red beam through one eye even as she seemed to deflect the strike of an iron sword from the other with her bare hand.

Harry faded in where she had glanced, already bringing the Sword of Gryffindor up and around, slicing neatly through a club the size of a fencepost, and back down, sending the wielding arm following it to the churned earth. Another four trolls spun on the interloper in their midst, and he jumped straight upward, his legs boosted with his magic to land neatly on the head of the tallest of the trolls.

He flipped backwards as the nearest troll crushed the skull of his footstool with a clumsy swipe. Harry slashed downwards as he flashed over the head of another, sending its head to fall to the ground. He landed in a backwards roll, dodging the strike of an iron sword, came to a knee and swiped sideways, sending yet another crashing to the earth. Harry glanced over at the killer of the first troll as he charged Harry. Harry swept his free hand through the air, sending a ball of blue fire racing across to bore a neat, six-inch hole through the troll's armor, and the chest beneath.

Standing, he looked towards Hermione, knowing where she was as always. A flicker of movement out of the corner of his eye drew his gaze.... "HERMIONE," he screamed as a patch of air shimmered and solidified, only yards behind her and a green jet raced across the sky.

She spun as Harry desperately reached out, ripping a concrete bench from its moorings and flinging it into the path of the beam. Time seemed to stop as the death curse shattered the bench, sending fist sized chunks into the air like bits of a pumpkin hit with a sledge.

Hermione gasped and sank slowly to the grass as her eyes flickered and went dark and rolled up in her head.

Her attacker burst into a red mist, even as Harry vanished and reappeared next to her, diving to his knees and bringing her head to rest on his lap. Trembling fingers desperately slipped across her throat, settling slightly as a slow pulse answered his prayers.

Harry looked up and his eyes glowed brighter as he grabbed Tonks from fifty feet away with invisible hands and pulled her to him, out from the midst of four, human attackers. She looked up at him, with wide, dark eyes, "Protect her," he growled and stood, looking slowly around at the perhaps fifty remaining trolls and seven or eight Death Eaters, which were obviously controlling the still attacking Trolls. He batted away a curse contemptuously and retaliated with a Reductor that left only a headless corpse in its wake.

Another two Death Eaters fell almost as one as the faculty and cadets-finally-rallied and the others turned to leave, leaving their dark charges to fend for themselves.

They failed.

As the cracks of the rest of the responding Aurors, now suitably armed and armored to deal with the attacking Trolls, filled the air, Harry gestured with his wand, and five flaming tendrils, shot out, tightening around them.

Three of them started to convulse almost instantly as they bit down heavily on one side of their jaws and purple foam slipped from suddenly slack lips. The other survivors collapsed as one of the instructors stunned them both, even as ten trolls fell from overcharged Reductors sent their way by the Aurors. A few of the trolls had the sense to raise huge, warted hands, while the rest of their brethren, now bereft of leadership ran for the hills.

Harry waved the Aurors after them, and a flight of ten jumped onto brooms and rose to give chase, sending Reductors and Piercing Charms down to harass the remainder into tight clumps as their grounded colleagues picked them off, one by one, from the rear.

He turned his back on the sudden rout, and returned to Hermione, kneeling next to her, and gently sweeping her into his arms. Pressing his lips to her forehead, which was smeared with red, he stood, cradling her against his chest as if she were still the eleven-year-old he had first met so many years ago.

They vanished between breaths before Tonks could say a word. She took a breath, looked around the impromptu battlefield, finding it now under control of the light and vanished, winging away towards the place where she knew Harry had taken her.

There were some instincts too deeply ingrained to question.

11:35 am

"MUM," Emilia yelled as she slid to a halt on the polished tile floors of the infirmary, her uniform shoes proving almost no traction on the waxed surface. She panted heavily as she looked down at her father sitting in a chair next to the bed, holding Hermione's hand, his thumb slowly stroking over the back in slow, unconscious patterns.

Harry looked up slowly as Sirius followed his sister into the room, having come from the complete other side of the castle. He swallowed away a dry throat.

"She's ok," Harry said quietly, "she's just sleeping." He looked at his children as they both stood silently near the foot of the bed, the only true outward sign of their terror was Emilia's lower lip being worried between her teeth. "Do you want to stay here until she wakes up?"

Both of them nodded silently and slipped closer. Emilia dropped a heavy bookbag next to the bed, and slipped onto her father's lap. She slowly brought her legs up, and hugged her arms around them as she let her head flop back onto Harry's shoulder. Sirius perched on the bed next to Hermione, both of the teens going utterly quiet as they watched her slowly breathe in and out.

After a moment's silence, Emilia reached forward and brushed Hermione's bangs away from her forehead, exposing a white bandage. Emilia swallowed, "What happened, Daddy?"

Harry shrugged and looked away for a beat, watching as a flight of owls wheeled past the windows, "She was down at the Academy on the coast, when someone thought it great fun to send in a flight of Dementors, and a horde of trolls-"

"That's a horde of Dementors, and a clutch of Trolls," Hermione said quietly as she yawned and stretched slowly, groaning as she reached the end, and opened her eyes, looking to each side. "Aren't you two supposed to be in class?"

Sirius shared a look with his sister as she uncoiled from Harry's lap, to drop down and hug Hermione. "It's lunchtime, Mum," he explained quietly, shrugging.

"Then you should eat, I'm fine." She sat up slowly, returning her daughter's hug as she held Harry's eyes over Em's shoulder. He nodded to some unheard comment and she let go of Em, "How about the four of us head to the Great Hall for lunch...your dad and I will meet you there in a moment."

Both of them nodded, and slowly slipped out, each pausing to hug Hermione again, even Sirius, for once, not complaining in the slightest. Emilia grabbed her bag and shouldered it, took a staggering step and turned, waving to her mother before she stepped out of the door. Soft voices carried to the Potters from the hallway, Harriet and Xander's, causing a small smile to light Hermione's lips.

"I really am okay, Harry," she said quietly, reaching over to interweave her fingers with his once more.

I...It's...

I'm proud of you, Harry, Hermione whispered, I know what you could have done-

I would have, you still are-

I know, my love, I know, for me as well. She looked around on the floor, Do you have any idea why Poppy took my pants? she muttered exasperatedly as she pulled back the light blanket she had been covered with, and swung bare legs to the floor.

Umm...actually, I did.

Really. She rolled her tongue around the inside of her cheek, and fought a sudden laugh, and looked back over her shoulder towards Poppy's closed office door, I'm game if you are, it's been seventeen years since the last time here.

Tempting, Harry replied, and flicked his wand through the air, conjuring a pair of worn jeans for her from nothing, but we should probably show some...decorum.

Spoilsport, she replied as she leaned forward and kissed him, sighing into him as he let his mouth fall open and his tongue dance with hers. He slipped to the floor and she rolled her eyes as he pulled her jeans on for her, Honestly, you are almost as good at getting them on as getting them off.

He stood and kissed the top of her head, before she stood and concentrated slightly, conjuring battered trainers. They had blood and troll...stuff covering your legs. And I'm pants at housekeeping spells, so Dobby took them.

Figured, she replied as she tucked into his side, letting her head fall to his shoulder for a minute before she took a small step away and took his hand. Let's go see if Dumbledore will feed us. Since we're here, I might as well stay for a while to visit with Luna.

***********************Ministry of Magic**********************************

Arthur slowly thumbed through hundreds of sheets of parchment littering the top of his desk. He scrawled a signature at the bottom of a requisition for five new armored SUVs, replacing the ones that Tonks had managed to lose before Christmas. He flipped over another, a request for an interview with the head of the Department of Mysteries. Starting to scrawl a denial, he let out a sudden, loud growl and swept the stacks of paper to the ground, sending empty coffee mugs, pictures and several data crystals crashing down.

He stood painfully and paced to his magical windows, even as his secretary poked her head into the room and back out just as fast, going unnoticed by the Minister of Magic. Arthur sighed as he watched the antics of his family as they moved around the image of the Burrow...all nine of them.

He looked over towards the pictures that had tumbled from the top of his desk in his sudden burst of anger, and swallowed as his vision got blurry. Arthur flicked his wand towards his desk and dropped it as a framed photo flew to his hands. He slowly ran his fingers over the cracked glass covering an image of a thin, eighteen-year-old woman with fiery red hair, that flowed down over the shoulders of shimmering white robes.

She frowned as she looked up at him, wrapping her arms around herself as Arthur started to sob silently. The tiny version of Molly-who, all in all, looked much more like her daughter than anyone would have ever imagined-reached for his fingers, trying to touch them through the glass.

"I...I miss you, Mollywobbles," Arthur whispered harshly, "I'm soo sorry, love....it was all my fault."

There you go, next chapter, R&R at Wandpoint.

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38. Chapter 37: R&R at Wandpoint

A/N: I couldn't get a vacation, so I gave H/Hr one...Thanks as usual to Lady Starlight for her splendiferous work on this chapter. Oh, Yeah....there could very well be smut in this chapter...
Chapter 37: R&R at Wandpoint
************************Godric's Hollow*********************************
March 11, 2016
8:35 am

"We don't have time for this, Tonks," Hermione growled, even as she stepped around Winky as the elf elevated loads of seemingly random clothing into an open trunk set at the foot of the bed. She glanced at Harry, who was sitting on the bed, watching bemusedly as his minuscule minion, shrank his Firebolt and levitated it into one end of the still, seemingly-empty trunk. Hermione huffed faintly and dropped heavily on the bed next to Harry, crossing her arms and looking up at the Metamorph as Tonks shimmered, her jeans shortening and slowly changing to a probably improper-length skirt and her t-shirt gaining an stick-figure, on all fours with another on its knees behind it.

"Yes, you do...you two haven't really had a day off since...you know, or really the train," Tonks retorted as she drew her wand and flicked it at the pair, sending Hermione tumbling into Harry's lap.

Tonks glanced to the right as Winky set a shrunken, doll-sized trunk on Hermione's lap, and sat on the bed next to them. She took Hermione's hand, and squeezed it, "Go, sis, take two-three days off...go to sleep on the beach with Harry still in you, and wake up to do it again."

Hermione looked back over her shoulder at Harry who shrugged and kissed her ear. "Fine," Hermione growled, as she grabbed the trunk and slipped into a thigh pocket on Harry's cargo pants, "we'll take a few off, but you will mirror us the instant something comes up, Nymphadora."

"Yes, my beloved, know-it-all sister," Tonks smirked and stood, bending back down to kiss both of them on the cheek. "Don't worry, Hermione, we can hold the lid on for a bit. You need to relax, I promise we will be alright for a couple of days."

"Call us, instantly, Tonks," Harry reemphasized, his eyes narrowing towards the currently green-haired Auror. "We can be back...."

Tonks rolled her eyes and drew her wand, "Don't make me have to use this," she smirked and both Potters rolled their eyes as one.

"Fine, Nymphadora," Harry retorted, "we're gone." A flicker of psuedomotion and they vanished without seeming to move, leaving behind a suddenly empty bed, and Tonks, who was gaping slightly at the their sudden, seeming surrender.

*******************************Caribbean********************************
March 12, 2016
5:45 pm

The quiet crash of the waves on the white sand shore along with the soft cry of gulls was the only sound in the air as Harry walked down the beach, his hands in his pockets and his bare feet leaving perfect tracks in the sand. He looked out over the crystal blue waters, to the horizon to find nothing there, before he looked back forward along his path.

A single, large beach towel was occupied by only one soul, spread out across a nearly life-sized image of a griffin. He smiled absently, as his heart forgot to beat for a moment at the sight, before he continued on, to stand over the young woman lying there. She was as bare as the day she had been born, except for a ring on her left hand, a few jeweled ear studs and an emerald-bearing ring in her navel.

Hermione smiled up at him, reaching her arms above her head and stretching, arching her back from the towel with a loud, almost wanton sigh. She relaxed to watch him with a crooked smirk as he fought to keep from reacting to her, and failed, as she knew he would. Her smile only increased, her eyes twinkling as he surrendered to the inevitable and lowered himself to the towel next to her.

She waited impatiently as he settled himself down, before crawling on top of him, slipping one leg between his as she tucked her head under his chin and closed her eyes contently. A barely audible purr rumbled from deep in her chest as he started to stroke along her spine, pausing at the bottom to trace his fingers over her bum and back up, before starting again once more.

Get hot? Harry whispered, as she yawned, reaching between them to burrow one hand under the loose hem of his brightly colored red shirt with white flowers, a Christmas gift from his sister-in-law.

I thought I already was.

Well...yes.

I told you that I needed some sun, she opened her eyes and turned her head to rest her cheek on his chest so she could peer out over the ocean, Let's bring everyone here this summer, the kids, the other kids, Ron and Luna...

Alright.
Harry lifted his head slightly as she started to undo his buttons one handed. He waited as she undid the lower half, before he kissed her hair, What are you doing?

We've been married how long...I would have thought you'd have sussed it out by now, she replied as she continued upwards. She lifted herself like a cat, and brushed his shirt all the way open with her nose, before settling back down. She half-moaned as she settled her weight back on him, pressing her chest to his and removing the useless barrier between them. Rolling to off to one side, and propping her head on one arm, she trailed her other hand down his chest to play lightly with the button holding his shorts closed. Harry, she paused and let her hand sweep up and back down to where it had started, did I tell you that Luna is wanting to have another one...or two?

Harry's hand, which had continued to rub along her spine, though constricted by her body, paused. He watched as slightly anxious brown eyes met his, and he bent his head to kiss her. Looking into her eyes from only an inch away, It's up to you, Hermione, I would love to have more children with you...but you are going to have to carry them. And you'll be fifty-five-six when they are grown up. He frowned as a brief flicker of a night lit by the flicker of spellfire reflecting off a long red train. And what about...

We let Tom dictate our lives when we were younger, Harry...If it had been up to me, I'd have had our children when we got married, that very night, if not the night we bonded...we were so careful that year...she swallowed heavily and closed her eyes to fight back tears. I half hoped, even then, to wake up some morning and feel three of us, to have forgotten the night before.

And as the other, so? She shrugged, bending her head back down onto his shoulder, I talked to Poppy about it the other day...after she got done pulling her hair, and haranguing me about the propensity of wizards to screw up the order of things...Baby, she's now projecting that our ages won't start to catch up to us for another two hundred, maybe two twenty or forty years...I should be able to have babies until I'm one fifty, maybe two hundred even.

Harry snorted. So you want to work on those twelve sprogs the old bat predicted?

She sighed and pushed on his chin playfully, How about we go for one more...and see where we are from there?

When?

Tonight...let's dress up and hop over to Miami for dinner, spend a few of those Galleons we seem to be collecting faster than we can spend, and come back here...

Harry grinned, Are you trying to seduce me, Mrs. Potter?

I did a long time ago, baby...but I'll remind you tonight. She snuggled down against him, rocking her hips on his for a moment, before stopping with a sigh and letting herself fall to sleep in his arms. More secure in the thin mortal flesh than the dozens of Intrusion Wards and active and passive defenses surrounding the old private getaway of the Potters-thousands of miles away from the turmoil that they both were ignoring for one shining weekend in the sun.

****************************Hogwarts*********************************

"How is she, Poppy?" Dumbledore asked before he had even finished entering the room, moving at nearly a sprint and sliding to a halt next to the single, occupied bed. He swallowed undetectably as he looked down at Minerva McGonagall, pale and unmoving, her dark hair the majority of color present against the white sheets. "What happened?" he turned and asked the other pair in the room, before Poppy could even draw breath to speak.

Parvati straightened, and brushed her hands on the legs of bright green scrubs. She swept her hair back out of her eyes as she paced back to Neville. Wrapping her arms around his chest she tucked under his arm. Neville kissed the top of her head as she clung to him, settling his wife before he shrugged towards Dumbledore.

"I don't know, Albus," Neville fell silent as Poppy flicked her wand over Minerva and frowned at the orangish-red glow that covered the Professor's chest. "We were going over the plans for the renovation of Gryffindor Tower this summer, and she grabbed her chest and collapsed. Par walked in just as she fell and started CPR on her."

Parvati looked over at Poppy, who nodded to her, "It looks like she's had another relapse from when that b...Umbridge had her stunned..." Parvati turned and rose on her toes, stretching to kiss Neville quickly before she slipped back out of his arm, having resettled herself with the contact. She reached over and took a clipboard filled with tiny purple writing from Pomfrey and started to read over it. Her lips moved slightly and she reached into a thigh pocket of her scrubs, the Muggle-style garments common among the younger generation of Healers, and pulled out a pair of small, round glasses.

She perched them on the end of her nose, and scanned down the rest of the chart before she glanced up at crystal ball in which a small glowing heart pulsed slowly in time with McGonagall's heart. Parvati set the chart on the corner of the bed, "If she was a Muggle, she'd have been dead years ago, Profess...Albus. She needed to stay longer in St. Mungo's the first two times...and during her relapse three summers ago. The nerves around her heart were damaged all those years ago, and when V...Voldemort Crucio'ed her, along with the rest of her injuries, she should have stayed for them to totally regenerate and repair them but she never did...damn, stubborn arse Gryffindors-"

"You are one, love," Neville muttered and she glared at him.

"I know, Merlin damn it," Parvati snapped, and took a step to her right, falling onto the bed next to Minerva's. She took a breath, "I know...and you fucking know what that cost me...us, Neville." Both Dumbledore and Poppy were silent as Neville slowly sat next to her.

He started to slip his arm around her, only to have it batted away angrily. Neville waited as she dropped her head, and reached under her top, pulling out a band on a gold chain, twin to the one on her left hand. Fingering it, she did not fight when Neville pulled her unto his lap.

She stopped after another moment, and let it fall to her chest, the chain carefully just long enough to allow the ring to rest over her heart. Sighing, she accepted Neville's wordless apology with the expedient of his hand in hers, and looked back over at Dumbledore. "There are specialists in this, I know one in Alberta. He'd be glad to come here...but she's going to have to take off several months, probably until the fall term. And we really need to get her to St. Mungo's...Not that Poppy can't take care of her here...but it would be easier there, away from the distractions."

Dumbledore nodded, and motioned to Neville, waiting as he disentangled himself from his wife and followed Dumbledore out into the hallway. He waited until the door closed behind him, "Neville, please consult with Filius, I would like the pair of you to split Minerva's duties between you."

"What about her class?" Neville shrugged, "I may be alright these days, but I'm no where near an expert in her field."

Dumbledore tapped the side of his crooked nose with one finger and smiled faintly, the first such expression he had shown since he arrived at a run, after a panicked house elf found him with the news, "Oddly enough, I think that I may already have the solution to that quandary in hand, so to speak." He did not elaborate, as he straightened his robes and turned to leave, "Please tell Minerva, that I will return shortly, I need to inquire of a friend."

Neville nodded to Dumbledore's back and returned to the infirmary, not noticing as the great wizard's shoulders fell the instant the door closed behind Neville, nor did he hear the choked sound that came from the hall.

**********************Potter Estates, Caribbean************************

Harry, a soft voice whispered across the ether, brushing with light fingers across his soul and caressing his mind.

He had barely Apparated them back to the beach house, arriving in the comfortable living room, when Hermione pushed him at a chair and vanished into their bedroom. A soft, needless fire was lit in a charmed firepit in the center of the room, the red-gold flames licking several feet up, without any smoke or almost any heat. Harry looked up and back, towards the door leading to the bedrooms and swallowed faintly as the door opened and Hermione slipped out, her eyes flicking with emerald sparks as she met his from across the room.

He rose to his feet without a conscious thought and watched, his heart racing, as she padded across the room. Her hips swiveled as she placed bare feet one in front of the other, moving directly towards him as if a lioness stalking her prey.

Over the years, Harry had found her in innumerable situations. He had seen her standing smeared in mud and much, much worse. He had watched her dance across inlaid wooden floors in two thousand Galleon gowns. And he had witnessed, his heart in his throat, as she read a bedtime story to a pair of black-haired children who hung on her every word as she regaled the adventures of Andy the Antipodean Opaleye.

It was that last, that oddly enough, felt closest to how he felt right now, as the firelight danced across her face, and cast reddish highlights in her hair, which fell in loose waves over her bare shoulders. Narrow, dark blue straps helped a thin silk shift defy gravity, as it hung to just below the join of her thighs. The chemise was mostly open at the sides, held together loosely with black ribbon, and exposing that the only thing beneath the garment was his wife.

She took a breath, drawing his eyes to the laced-closed v in the front, before he took a breath of his own and lifted his gaze back to hers. Taking another step forward, Hermione stepped close to him, and lifted her hands to his emerald tie. Grinning, she pulled on it, pulling his head down to hers.

Hermione let go to tangle her fingers in his hair, as she tilted her head to the side to kiss him with a quiet sigh. It broke with another soft gasp, this time for air, and she took a final step, tucking herself against his body with a practiced ease. She moved to one side, letting her head fall to his shoulder as she watched her fingers adroitly unknot his tie and slip it from the collar of his night-black shirt. The tie fell from her fingers to the floor behind her, as she started on the small, dark buttons holding his shirt closed.

Harry fell back to the couch as she pushed on his chest with two fingers, landing on the seat and bouncing once. He found Hermione in his lap before he could bounce again. She nibbled on her lower lip as she continued to unbutton his shirt, and passed, groaning as Harry slid his fingers up her thighs, to bunch her garment around her hips, and run his thumbs in small little circles about the points of her hips.

Rocking against his lap, she let out a soft hiss and her eyes narrowed to slowly glowing slits as she felt him respond to her. She ground her core into the bulge in his pants, feeling the heat between them through the fine fabric of his dress trousers.

"Hermione?"

Um, hmm....she murmured as she started to rock faster on his lap, until Harry tightened his grip on her hips just enough to stop her, to her visibly expressed displeasure.

"You are going to make me pay for this for the next nine months, aren't you?" Harry breathed in her ear, and she squirmed on his lap as his breath sent tingles down her spine.

Licking her lips, she finished unbuttoning his shirt and slowly spreading it open. She pressed her open palm to his chest, Probably less than with Sirius...that boy was obstinate, just like his daddy... Hermione looked up into his eyes, and pouted slightly, The sooner we start...

You know, Harry commented, as he brushed her hair back from her neck, and brushed his lips along her pulse. She shivered as he nibbled, before flicking the flat of his tongue against a spot that sent her nearly in paroxysms, I seem to remember that you get really horny while you are sprogged up.

Trust you to remember the important things, Mr. Potter, Hermione grinned before she gasped, and her neck went limp, as he sped up his ministrations.

Harry slowly slipped one strap down her shoulder, and then the other, letting her nightie fall down to pool about her hips. His lips followed the silk, until he took one already engorged nipple into his lips and sucked lightly. She moaned and wrapped herself around him, kissing the top of his head and holding her head there as he shifted his attentions to the other.

Hermione resumed her idle movements on his lap, rocking harder with each instant as Harry's every action sent a line of pure fire racing to her core. She rocked again and screamed quietly into his hair as she felt herself suddenly trip over the edge with only a heartbeat's warning, as Harry's feelings washed over her in a sudden wave, sending her world swirling away in a rush of color.

Harry groaned as she fought to keep from following her, feeling more like the teenager that he had never been allowed to be, than he had in years. Holding her as she slowly calmed, and stopped moving on his lap, he trailed his lips over to kiss her directly over her heart.

A moment passed as Hermione blinked slowly, her breathing slowly returning to normal again, before she lifted her head and bent his back with both hands to kiss his scar. She swallowed and Harry could feel her hands shaking slightly on his back as she fought to bring herself under control.

I didn't know that you were that ready, Harry grinned even as a portion of his mind helpful provided images of Umbridge in her knickers in an on-going attempt to keep from letting go at the sight, feelings and smell of Hermione's release.

Honestly...I didn't know I was either, she murmured in her thoughts, still too short of breath to form the words out loud. And you really need to get the image of Umbridge out of your head...

Harry stood with a quiet grunt; still holding her to him, as she wrapped her legs around his hips, tucked her head into his shoulder. She started to nibble on the spot where his neck met his collarbone, letting her teeth and tongue alternately caress his skin. And who would you recommend? he smirked as he let one hand fall from behind her, to gesture at the hardwood floor next to the firepit.

A thick, night black fur appeared, complete with cushions, and he let his hand fall back to her, pressing between her shoulder blades.

Hermione glanced backwards and let her legs fall to the floor. She took a step back and breathed in slightly, as she brushed at her sides, sending her garment falling to the floor. She took his hands in hers and slowly walked backwards until she felt the soft pelt brushing her feet. I don't know...I'd think that you had enough right here, she nibbled on one corner of her lip as she pushed his shirt off, letting it fall away behind him. Her hands trailed down his chest and stomach, feeling his muscles jump at her touch before they paused on his belt buckle.

More than enough, Harry replied as he leaned forward to kiss her, before he kissed across her cheek to settle behind one ear.

B...brilliant, Hermione sputtered, her pulse starting to race once more. She undid his belt with trembling fingers and grunted in frustration, as she just could not seem to grasp his zip. Her eyes flared and the button and zip parted with a ripping sound, letting his pants fall to the floor. She grinned as she caught sight of the boxers she had gotten him for his birthday two years ago, with "Hermione's toy" written in gold across the front of the straining, black cotton.

Harry groaned as she started to stroke him, before she twisted her fingers in the elastic and pulled them out, nearly to breaking, before pulling them over and down over the obstruction. Sinking slowly to her knees on the fur, she let her eyes flick downward to his feet, as he stepped out of them and his pants, before she looked up with a half grin as she started to stroke him. Harry's breathing went short, as all thoughts flittered away with every caress of her nimble fingers.

Licking her lips, Hermione looked up, holding his eyes as she slowly leaned forward and a small, pink cat's tongue flicked out, collecting the shimmering drop waiting for her on the end. She smirked as Harry groaned her name, his fingers slowly wrapping in her hair. One finger twirled around the braid she kept over her left ear, sign, not that any could possibly need such a thing, of her loyalty to him. She slowly wrapped one hand around him, pushing it up against his belly as she traced the long, throbbing vein along the bottom with her tongue, before rolling it around the head. A quick breath, and she took him in, to start bobbing in time to his quiet moans, or perhaps it was the reverse.

She moved until she felt him start to shake, and she could feel nerves start to fire randomly, and pulled away. Reaching up, she took his hands in hers and slowly pulled him down to the floor in front of her. She took his face in her hands, leaning in she slowly pressed her lips to his, teasing them with the tip of her tongue until they fell open to her ministrations. "I'm not wasting any tonight, baby," Hermione whispered into his mouth.

"Good," Harry returned as he started to kiss down her neck.

She gasped, loudly as one long finger started to trace her lower lips, before it slowly slid in to the base. It slipped out to slowly trace up her centerline, before lightly tracing her lips. She grinned and darted her head forward, taking the finger into her mouth and slowly sucking it clean.

Harry kissed her again, swirling his tongue about, Merlin; I love how you taste.

I know, she muttered and kissed him again, even as she fell backwards, pulling him along with her. She pulled him down to her breast, letting her head flop back as Harry took a nipple into his lips automatically, and started to gently suck. Hermione groaned and arched upwards, a quiet mewing sound escaping her lips faster and faster as Harry's fingers trailed down once more, slowly teasing her in time to the motion of his tongue on her breast.

Come on, Mione, Harry whispered, as he trailed his lips back up to her neck. His tongue flicked along her pulse, collecting a thin bead of moisture, and she shuddered, come for me again...

Whimpering, Hermione nodded frantically, as his fingers sped up again, each small movement sending pure molten fire racing along her nerves. She cried out, after only a minute and stiffened under him and arched up from the rug, shaking randomly for a long movement before flopping back bonelessly to the floor.

Harry grinned as he watched her chest heaving, and contented himself with slowly brushing her wet hair from her eyes, until she blinked a few times and her eyes, now fully lit, regained sentience.

Licking her lips, she reached up and pulled his head down to hers. Sucking his tongue back into her mouth, where it belonged if she had anything to do with it, she caressed it lightly even as she tangled her legs around his. A quick flex of her abs and she rolled them both over and sat up, still breathing heavily. She reached back behind her bum, to slowly stroke him, where he was pressing hot into a cheek.

"I love you, Harry," Hermione said very softly, holding his gaze as she rose up on her knees and slowly rocked herself back down onto him, her eyes fluttering closed as he vanished into her. Opening her eyes once more, she slowly rolled downward to kiss him, and began to move on his lap as his lips opened to hers.

Hermione broke the kiss and rolled back upright, as she leaned back on her hands and started to bounce on his lap, nearly lifting herself all the way off him before falling back a beat later.

Harry groaned as he fought to keep his own eyes open, to watch as she moved, her hair flying about and catching the light from the fire. A thin stream of moisture slid down from her cheek, down the long expanse of her neck and down between her breasts, drawing his eye to her heart. Reaching up, he took the gently bouncing globes in hand, caressing them, as she moved ever faster. "Oh...God..." Harry whispered as he felt his spine tighten, and random shards of magic send his world wavering.

Neither noticed as the flames in the firepit flared up, doubling, tripling in size and taking on an emerald cast, nor of the soft crash as a vase on a side table smashed against a wall across the room.

Couch cushions shot past, nearly catching in the fire as Hermione took his hands in hers, interlacing their fingers, and using the leverage to move even faster. Soft whimpers became continuous, as she ground her core into his with every move, driving a shock to the pool of fire quickly growing in her belly.

Oh...M...Mionnnee, Harry whispered reverently, fighting to be even able to think, as she moved even faster, her movements becoming frantic as he rocked up to meet her every move, slapping their hips together with a soft, welcome sound. His breathing started to become a constant, harried rasp, his chest heaving as he tried desperately to keep from losing control before her. M...Mione...p...please...

She nodded between pants and reached down, brushing herself frantically as she moved, every muscle in her abs flexing visibly as she moved. Her fingers stroked once, twice and she cried out his name, freezing as she shivered in place, and arched back until her forehead nearly touched his shins, and her world swirled away in a rush of colors. Her inner walls clenched frantically around Harry, velvet fingers stroking him for a long moment until he followed her with a hoarse cry, arching up as he emptied into her.

He fell back, panting, and Hermione flopped forward, nearly hitting her forehead on his before she lay fully on him, both of them panting, desperate for oxygen that seem to tease them and dance just out of reach. Harry blinked slowly, his eyes still flickering softly as he fought to regain enough motor control to stroke his fingers along her spine.

Hermione purred quietly at his attentions, even though even if he could have actually managed enough mental acuity to work the problem, he would not have been able to suss out if the sound was in his ears or his mind. She squirmed slightly and tucked her head into his neck, her breath warm on his sodden skin, as a soft, contented hum filled both of their heads.

Hermione? Harry whispered after a beat, and grinned tiredly as she did not reply. He continued to stroke her back, pulling her tighter into him, as she started to make a quiet rather cute sound that Harry would forever steadfastedly refuse to call a snore. He reached out a hand and summoned a small pillow from the couch and tucked it under his head, before letting one hand fall down to cup her bum with the other comfortably behind her shoulders as he closed his eyes, I'll see you in a bit, Love, we have all night, after all.

*************************Transfiguration #1******************************

March 14, 2016

Sirius yawned and stretched in his seat as he waited, along with the much of the rest of his fifth-year classmates, for Minerva McGonagall. The Assistant Headmistress was running late, a rather odd occurrence for the habitually prompt woman. Lawrence made a small noise and Sirius looked over, to find his friend shrugging and tapping on his watch.

Next to Lawrence, his sister and Kris were leaning close together, taking turns writing on a scrap of parchment, as a folded parchment bird fluttered overhead, swooping around the various students. Kris giggled at something and squirmed, and Sirius looked back down at his books, trying to keep from rolling his eyes as Virginia leaned back with a satisfied mien.

Olivia Wentworth, a tall, dark-blonde girl, reached forward from her seat behind Sirius and tapped him on the ear with her quill. He looked back over his shoulder at the Gryffindor girl, "You think we can leave if she doesn't show, Sirius?" Her friend and roommate, Trisha Hue nodded and looked pointedly towards the still-closed door to the professor's office.

"Um," Sirius replied thoughtfully, "I don't know...maybe we should just wait, I mean it is...McGonagall."

"I can't believe the great and powerful Sirius Potter is afraid of one old professor," Lawrence interrupted even as he let his eyes flick down Olivia's top, before he grinned crookedly, "What are you doing tonight, Olivia?"

She flicked her eyes down his chest, "Not you...Gina-"

Sirius dodged forward slightly as Virginia reached up to rap her bother on the back of the head. Loud giggles came from several of the girls scattered in the immediate area and Justin, who was half-snoozing behind the study table across the aisle from Sirius, snorted and looked over. "I thought you were dating Aiko?"

"Well, we always love company," he grinned.

"And this is why I don't tell Mum anything about this world," Trisha muttered. She had not been the first Muggle-born mildly-surprised about the less published realities of the Magical world. She brushed straight, long brown hair out of one eye and looked to her roommate.

"What that it's more likely that--"

"No," Trisha replied with a sigh, "Weasley twins."

Several laughs answered her only partial jest, and fell suddenly silent as the Professor's office door open and a slender witch walked in. All new murmurs erupted, along with a low pair of wolf-whistles as she smiled and waved to the class before slowly pacing to the front and leaning back on the desk, stretching out long legs, that were exposed by a black skirt more than a touch shorter than any of the other female professors might don. White stockings went to just above her knees, only serving to point out the four or five inches of muscled thigh exposed between them and the skirt. She reached up with one hand and brushed back slightly wavy, nearly waist-length dirty blonde locks and smiled brightly, her huge silvery grey eyes shining behind a pair of small, round glasses that she sometimes wore these days. For like her 'sister' she had spent entirely too many hours looking at cramped text in ancient tomes in the poor lighting of this castle and another exactly like it.

The witch, for it was obvious she was one, if only from the sheath strapped to her right thigh and halfway exposed from under her skirt, looked like she might have just graduated Hogwarts this past summer. With witches, as any of them here knew, appearances were deceiving, she could be twenty years older than any of them, and not look much more than twenty or so. Sirius's own mother was a prime example-as was his other mother.

"Hello class," Luna said brightly and hopped backwards to perch on her desk. She kicked off her shoes and crossed her legs, sending her skirt rising along with the blood pressure of a few of the students, "My name is Professor Weasley, but you can call me Luna. In fact I would prefer it, there is a odd chance of Cornish Pixies trying to imbue Corians on us if you get myself and the other Professor Weasley confused." Her head turned like a bird's to Sirius, "But you can still call me Mum, Sirius."

Loud sniggers broke out across the room and Sirius sighed as his ears turned the color of his girlfriend's locks, "Bloody hell."

***************************Hogwarts*************************************

March 16, 2016 (Wednesday)

Draco hid a sigh as the last of the Sixth year NEWT class slipped in just as the distant chime of the clock tower struck, and he flicked his wand at the door, closing it with a loud boom. He strode the length of the room, his shimmering black robes billowing behind him before he stopped and pointed at the board.

Long lines of writing appeared, and he looked out over the class. He let his eyes pause for the briefest instant on Rain as she sat with Harriet on the table to the right of Emilia and Xander. He did not return her fleeting smile, and continued about the room, catching sight of Maraisah and Antares doing...something, a few tables over, which he would have to investigate in a moment.

Bethany Guinness, a Ravenclaw, who somehow, through some random quirk of fate had inherited Neville's seeming penchant for exploding potions, was digging in her bag, and leaning over to talk to her desk mate. She started to say something else, when Draco cleared his throat. "Five points, Miss Guinness, your social lives are irrelevant to Potions, the last time I reviewed the syllabus.

She reddened slightly and shut up quickly as Draco leaned on his desk, "Now that I have the class's attention, today we are going to brew the Familarius Sedium potion. This potion, as you should know from your reading and possibly from your study in creatures, is used to treat injured, bonded Familiars. There are several variations of this potion, depending on the genus of the Familiar and today we will look at the Feline variation."

In the back of the room, Emilia nodded to herself and sucked on a quill to get it started before she jotted down Draco's words and the start of the instructions on the board.

"Is there anyone who knows the reason that one would use such a potion instead of sedating the animal with a spell," he let his eyes flick around the room, and fought the natural tendency of his eyes to flick heavenward as Emilia's hand lifted halfway with her quill flicking in the air. "Miss Potter, enlighten us."

"Sir, the main reason, is that if a bonded Familiar, as opposed to a pet, was injured the psychic shock of the trauma would still transmit along the Familiar bond, if only a spell were used. This potion suppresses the bond to background...noise, without breaking it. The bond would fully reestablish as the potion wears out."

"Five points to Gryffindor," Draco replied, even as he glanced around to his own house, thinking that for once, he might be able to award points. He frowned faintly as none seemed interested in looking up, "What is the difference, then, between the base potion and the Kneazle specific version that we will be making today?" He looked to the back once more to watch as Harriet's hand waved idly, "Yes, Miss Weasley."

Harriet looked at him for a moment, and blinked once or twice before what he had said seemed to percolate through her jumbled thoughts, "For Kneazles, or cats, really, the potion is based around the essence of nepeta cataria, as opposed to Fledrals, which would of course need a bit of snaproot." She smiled brightly as he seemed to process her answer.

"Umm....correct on the question asked, five points." He flicked a wand at the board and a long series of instructions appeared, "Very well, get started then, you have two hours to produce it."

He sat down behind his desk and watched as the students stood and started to gather ingredients, while a few stayed behind to light cauldrons. He watched as the first few gathered the plant and started to press the purple flowered stems with the flats of their knives, and looked down towards today's copy of the Prophet. He turned to the financial section, and started in on an article about a proposed merger between Nimbus and the Quality Carpets company based out of India, when he looked up as a faint, odd sound carried to his ears.

He slowly panned around the room, pausing on the usual suspects until he looked to the back. His eyes widened as he watched as Rain and Harriet were both staring fixedly at their table, their chests heaving slightly as they leaned against each other. A soft, purr-like sound carried forward, drawing the attention of more than a few of the students, before he caught the quick flash of Xander's wand, cutting off sound. The rest of the class, not having yet zeroed in on the back, returned to their work even as Draco stood slowly.

He worked his way to the rear, noticing on the way, that none of the four Gryffindors in question had yet to so much as light a fire.

Emilia was leaning heavily against Xander, rubbing at least her shoulders against his, and possibly more as both of her hands were out of sight. She had turned and had her head tucked under his. Xander's breathing was quick as well, with just the faintest hint of white extending past his lips as he tried to hold Emilia still.

Draco took a final step closer and crossed the invisible wall cutting off sound around the four, and the purring sound he had heard earlier only softly now filled his ears. The sound seemed to come from three slightly different voices, and he glanced over to Rain and Harriet to watch as Harriet slowly stroked Rain's palm with her fingers, causing the taller girl to shudder.

"Miss Weasley," Draco said quickly, then remembering the ward, "Harriet, Rain..."

They both slowly looked up to him and he sighed and closed his eyes for a beat as he found slitted irises looking back at him. He looked over as Xander managed to grab Emilia's hands, and hold them above the table. Xander was panting quietly, obviously fighting something.

Draco sighed to himself as Emilia looked back over her shoulder with her eyes fully cat-like and glowing faintly. "Hi, Uncle Draco," she said, giggling breathily, she rubbed her head against Xander's chin, "Xander's randy...I'm randy...this is a great potion."

"I'm sure it is," he replied wryly as he watched ears start to creep out from under Rain's hair, and a long, black tail appearing from under her skirt. Draco quickly glanced back, verifying that no one was watching, and quickly cast a Glamour to conceal her more, inhuman, features.

He had learned of his de facto daughter-in-law's cat form this Christmas when he and Ginny had finally escaped the disaster that the Christmas Dinner had become to come home to the Manor. He had drawn his wand at the huge black cat sitting draped along one comfortable couch with its head in the lap of his youngest son. His wand had clattered to the floor as the head turned to him, with huge blue eyes looking back into his with human intelligence.

Ginny had only laughed and announced how cute Rain was as the cat flowed to the floor and padded over to Ginny to accept a petting before flowing into Rain's human form.

Draco dropped Xander's ward with a flick of his wand, "Mr. Lupin, if you would please take your classmates back to Gryffindor Tower, they seem under the weather." Several of the class turned at his announcement, as Draco leaned closer, "Get them to their rooms, and keep them away from Justin and Sirius," he whispered, and sighed, "Or at least Sirius, I suppose it's too late for-"

Xander nodded and half carried Emilia out of the classroom, even as he fought the hormones racing through his own body at the siren call of Emilia's pheromones and emotions that were hitting him with all the subtly of a half-ton anvil.

Rain and Harriet followed along, giggling, and swinging their joined hands. Draco paced back to the front, "They had a bad batch of the main ingredient," he explained and half-glared about the room. "Back to your potions." He stalked back to his desk and sat down with a groan, holding various gazes until every student returned to their work.

Out in the hallway, Xander groaned and managed to maneuver the trio of girls towards the stairs. He sighed as Rain and Harriet giggled loudly and wrapped their arms around Emilia, all three girls now purring louder and partially transformed into their alter egos. With a small frown, as they reached the main stairs leading upward, he glanced towards the long walk to Gryffindor Tower, and with a quick judgment, took all three of them out the near door to the courtyard. He sat down on the edge of the fountain, pulling Emilia into his lap, and with a faint grunt, reaching up and pulling the other two down beside them.

"Come back to me," Xander muttered as he stroked Emilia's hair. She continued to purr and started to rub up against him once more, even as the other two girls giggled and cuddled with Emilia. "Just my luck, my wife and the other two most beautiful girls in Hogwarts all crawling on my lap...and they are stoned on catnip...Mum never said there would be days like this."

Emilia's gaze sharpened as she realized what he had let slip, "Really?" she asked, as she fought through the effects.

"Yeah," he kissed her head between her cat ears, "really." The three purred in response to his words but slowly regained control.

Emilia's eyes cleared, though her ears and tail remained, as did Harriet's and Rain's. She took a long, deep breath, "I'm fine now, baby," she whispered, her voice slightly distorted by her cat fangs. "Thank you, Love."

Harriet and Rain just nodded, and Xander shrugged, bending to the side to kiss the other girls' cheeks, before he kissed Emilia properly, "That's me, I'm a cat lover, I can't help it."

There you go....the cat bit was from an idea by Fenris Wolf, a while back, thanks to him for letting me use it. Next Chapter: A Step into Darkness, A Leap into Light...

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39. Chapter 38: A Step into Darkness, A Leap into Light

A/N: Yeah, yeah, I know it's been a while, but I've barely had time to sleep, let alone post. So this is a long chapter for you, with a small little bit that I think that more than one of you just might have been looking forward to...I know that a couple of our favorite characters have...Yeah, it deserves the NC-17 rating. Thanks as usual to Lady Starlight for her incomparable work on this chapter. Yeah, I still own nothing, really. Have fun. Say tuned for another note at the bottom of this chapter.

Chapter 38: A Step into Darkness, A Leap into the Light
************************Somewhere in Ireland****************************

March 25, 2016
2:27 am

Draco's hand was cramping as he gripped his wand beneath the fluttering fall of a drab black cloak. He moved quickly down the cobblestone streets of a back alley between crooked, decrepit buildings, his eyes glancing into every darkened doorway and corner that he passed. A tattered, scraggly cat, that might have been white beneath dirt and grime, raced across his path and he froze, before continuing with a restrained sigh.

The last time he had been in this place had been eighteen years ago, when he was on the run from both sides. Of course, after the events that he would set in motion, with his meeting, there was every chance that he would be so again. Especially when the next generation found out what he had done-then, only the grace of God and Merlin would save him. But he had to take the chance, as there was no other choice that he could see.

A soft scraping noise came from behind him, and he spun dropping to a crouch, with his wand coming up in both hands to point at the noise...only to find another pointing back at him. He took a deep, shuddering breath, and slowly lowered his, "Merlin damn it, woman," he hissed, as he found hard brown eyes meeting his from under red locks shorn at slim shoulders. "I fucking told you to stay home."

Ginny grabbed his shirtfront and dragged him out of the street, into an even darker doorway. A rat softly scurried away as she glanced around, before she leaned forward, rising on her toes and pulling herself up with one arm around his neck to glare at him from only inches away. "You seriously think that I'm going to let you come here without me, you great fucking prat?" she growled, her eyes flashing.

"I didn't want you here, Gin," he muttered and she sighed, before she let herself down and took a half step away.

She looked him over slowly, and her eyes widened after a second, as sudden realization set in. Sighing, she closed her eyes for a beat, "We're in this together, Draco." She stroked his cheek with a grey-gloved hand, "No matter where it leads. I know what you were thinking, and you can just stop that."

"I wanted to give you an out..."

"When they come for us, Draco," she whispered, as she continued to stroke his cheek, "if we're lucky...it'll be the kids...they will possibly still care enough for us to just kill us..."

"You know what that means, luv," he muttered. "It could give us an out, though."

She nodded and stepped away from the shadows without a word, and only a single squeeze of his hand. Her wand filled her hand openly as she moved down the street, with Draco trailing. Ignoring his slight huff, she stopped, and looked into the darkness, "Come out, I don't have time for this."

"And what's a lass like you doing out in this area?" a rough, low voice replied as she waited. A shape, slowly resolved from the darkness, not quite coming into the light from a flickering streetlamp. "Someone like you could meet up with the wrong sort."

"Shut it, Seymour," Draco snapped as he took a step towards the scraggly wizard. "Were you able to get it?"

The man looked between them thoughtfully, "One wonders exactly what such an paragon of society as you, Guv'nor, would want with Night Blossom extract? A banned, undetectable poison-"

"It's an ingredient for a potion," Draco snapped, "I repeat, do you have it?"

"Do you have my gold?" he retorted, as his hand slipped into an interior pocket of his robes. Draco growled and tossed a small, jangling bag at him, he caught it and pocketed it in one practiced motion. "He ya go then, laddie," a large glass phial caught the scarce light as he flicked it towards Draco. Almost at the same instant, Ginny's wand snapped up and a red bolt sent him crumpling to the ground.

"Obliviate," Draco muttered and a yellow fan reached out, and danced over the head of the wizard lying in the street. A soft purple beam scanned over him next as Draco cast a delayed Reviving Charm, "Fucking wanker."

Ginny glanced down as Draco grabbed her hand, and pulled her to him, "Are you going to take the gold back?"

He shrugged, "No, he earned it after all, and he probably expected to be Obliviated anyway. I was more concerned with him knowing you were here...He knows not to try and betray me." A faint crack filled the street a moment later as air rushed to fill in the sudden void left as the Blacks vanished.

******************************Hogwarts**********************************

April 1, 2016.
6:35 pm

"I swear to Merlin," Emilia growled as she stepped through the portrait hole, her hair hanging almost totally straight for once, as it lay sodden nearly to her waist. Her shoes squished slightly as she walked towards the couch where Lawrence was snorting and fighting not to break into outright laughter.

"D...did you run into a p...puddle?" Lawrence laughed as she came closer. His smile slowly faded as a faint glow seemed to infuse her eyes. He stood slowly and casually backed away, before he glanced up and back towards the boys stairs, and then towards the portrait hole, "Um...I need to find....um, Gina for dinner..."

He vanished out the portrait hole in between breaths, just as Virginia slipped down the girls' stairs, Kris's hand tightly in hers. "Where'd he go?" she asked perplexedly, "He was supposed to wait for us. We got...delayed."

Emilia did not comment on the girls as she waved a hand over her head. Her hair slowly recurled as the water vanished. Another flick of her wand, and her school uniform smoothly morphed into jeans and a red jumper. Scowling, even as a part of her mind still tracked Lawrence on his fruitless attempt to escape, she kicked off her Mary-Janes, and looked pointedly towards the boy's stairs.

A set of brightly colored trainers floated down, to drop in front of her feet just as the Portrait Hole opened once more, revealing Harriet, Sirius and Rain. Rain looked back over her shoulder as the Fat Lady closed behind her, "Does anyone know why Lawrence was sprinting past like a Horntail was on his ass?"

Emilia shrugged as she bent at the waist to pull the bungies tightening her trainers on her feet. She stood, flinging her hair back over her head, and stalked towards the exit to the room, and out it without another word.

"Think that we should maybe stop her?" Rain mused as she crossed to the couch and dropped onto it, sprawling across it headless of the image she might present. Harriet sat down in the space between her legs, and Sirius rolled his eyes as he sat down across from them in a battered armchair. Rain glanced down and idly fixed her skirt, not that she would have been terribly bothered by flashing Sirius, before she flopped her head to the side.

Sirius shrugged, "Nah...I doubt she'll kill him too much," he yawned slightly, "Are you hungry?"

Harriet smirked and stood from the couch, took one step and spun and dropped into Sirius' lap in one motion. She kicked off her shoes, before pulling her knees up and tucking her head under his. Half turning, she started to undo his tie, unknotting it with practiced fingers before letting the undone tie fall loose. She undid his collar button, and rested her head on his chest. "No, not really." She played with his top button idly, more focusing on keeping the occasional flicker of a place not here away than anything else, "Though I would like some pie."

Rain rolled her eyes and rolled over to face the back of the couch, as Sirius sat back, pulling Harriet with him, "I guess we could have pie, though you should probably eat something a bit more substantial..."

Harriet sighed, and slowly stood from his lap, bending back down to pull Sirius up just as Rain rolled over to face them. The black-haired teen closed her eyes, "Harriet, love," Rain muttered, just loud enough for the redhead to hear, "forget something?"

Harriet straightened, frowning slightly, "I don't think so, though now that you mention it, I do need to put out Smegie bait for this evening, they are in season you know, and they have the nicest rainbow colors...Maybe I can convince one to be a hair comb."

"She's yours, Sirius," Rain said with a roll of her eyes. She rocked to her feet in one motion and kissed Harriet's temple. "Behave, sis, you just have a week to go," she whispered in Harriet's ear and left, not catching the sudden brightening of grey eyes behind her as she took the girls' stairs two at a time.

Harriet turned back to Sirius as he frowned slightly, "What was that about?"

She smiled softly and shrugged as she took his hand and started towards the Portrait hole,

"Aren't you going to get your shoes?" Sirius asked.

"No, not unless you think I should," she nibbled on one corner of her lip and Sirius sighed faintly as he took a step over and retrieved her shoes. She held out a foot, with a small, unnoticed smirk, and he dropped to his knees, and slid the shoe on, as easily as a glass slipper, though slightly more comfortable to be sure. He placed the other without prompting and looked up towards her face.

A faint sharp breath, and his ears and cheeks flushed, as his eyes widened, before he slowly stood, seemingly fighting to control himself. He brushed one fiery lock back over her left ear, pausing to play with a small, beaded braid hanging there, before his fingers slipped to the back of her head, and pulled upward, lifting her on her toes slightly as he bent down.

A few, loud wolf-whistles carried across the round room, as Harriet reached up, wrapping her arms around his neck and deepening the kiss. Her tongue slipped past his lips and he groaned, his hands, which had fallen to her waist tightening and pulling her close into him. A beat later, they broke away, panting, and Sirius glared over her shoulder at the third years paying rapt attention to them, until Abigail emerged from the girl's stairs, glanced between them and the third years and growled. They vanished almost instantly, and Abigail giggled, before skipping over to jump up and kiss Sirius' cheek with another giggle and vanish up the boys' stairs herself, no doubt to gather Elliot for dinner.

Harriet glanced down, as Sirius held her tightly to him still and then back up into his eyes, "We should get to dinner, I suppose, you need to study after all."

"Do I have to?" he whispered, as his fingers idly pulled loose her white blouse from the waistband of her school skirt to find warm skin.

"I'll make it worth your while," she mused, "somehow." Smaller fingers intertwined with his, "Come, my prince, you need your strength." It was difficult to keep holding hands with someone who was as apt to skip as to walk normally, but Sirius managed, somehow as the pair of them vanished into the castle and headed towards dinner.

"Come out, Lawrence," Emilia said loudly as she moved through the castle, her hands clasped behind her back, with her wand held point up along her spine. The high, bushy tail her now dry hair was pulled into flicked back and forth with her head movements, like a cat's tail on the prowl. "I just want to talk."

Behind her, Flitwick stepped into the hall from a side corridor, shook his head, and kept on going.

Emilia walked for another few minutes, slowly, letting her quarry move in front of her, darting from hallway to hallway. She took a step around a corner, into a dead-ended hallway and stopped to lean against the wall for a moment, as Lawrence looked back at her, his hands shaking as he held them out towards her.

"Now, Em, I'm..." he reached back with one hand and touched a brick, and the wall spun about, taking him with it, but not before a tiny, almost unnoticed flick of her wand occurred.

She grinned and spun on her heel, flowing between one step and the next onto four legs, and into night black fur. A tufted black tail flicked once, and she lifted her snout and took a deep breath; instantly a thousand scents carried to her nose, and she disregarded most of them as inconsequential. A second, deeper breath caught the faint scent of food and the barest whiff of the sharp scent of wolf, and she grinned a cat's grin and padded off silently, vanishing into the shadows lining the walls.

Five minutes later, Emilia stepped out of the shadows near the Great Hall and into her human form. She reached up and back, straightening her ponytail before she swept into the already crowded room. She grinned and waved towards several girls from Hufflepuff in her Arithmancy class before she slipped down the length of the Gryffindor table to stop behind Xander. She pulled his head back and gave him a quick kiss before slipping between him and Harriet, who seemed much more interested in sharing a large piece of pumpkin pie with her brother from his plate than in Emilia's existence.

Xander slid over an already filled plate for her without a word and she kissed the ball of his shoulder before she picked up a fork and tucked in. She cut into her roast beef, and took a bite, Xander having already seasoned it to her liking or his. It was hard to tell any longer, her tastes having gradually bled into his over the last year or so. Pushing around a bit of the rather bloody beef, she glanced over the top of the table to meet Rain's eyes, and gave a quick shrug before she returned to her meal.

"Where were you, Em?" Dan asked from next to Rain, even as he handed a basket of rolls to Chastity on his other side, "Poor Xander's been salivating over all that meat."

"He's a good boy," Emilia replied with a grin, "I had to take care of..."

She broke off as Lawrence stepped into the room, his eyes on Emilia, and stepped past a group of young girls at the far end of the Gryffindor table. A loud chorus of giggling carried, and as he turned to look back, the students around Emilia broke out into outright laughter.

The entire rear of Lawrence's trousers was gone, along with the boxers beneath, as if they had been cut that way. He spun back to Emilia and the rest, with a perplexed look on his face, even as Gina, who had been laughing as hard as the rest stood with a sigh, kissed Kris's cheek and hurried over to her brother, even as the giggles increased from behind him.

She leaned into him, murmured something and he flushed before turning and sprinting out of the Great Hall with his hands ineffectively covering his arse.

"EMILIA!" he screamed as he escaped, which only resulted in the exchange of Galleons and high-fives at the Gryffindor table.

"Miss Potter," Neville said as he stood from the Head Table, while his wife hid her face in a napkin and several other professors, which thankfully did not include the currently absent Headmaster, fought to keep from laughing as well.

"I'll see you Monday, Professor," Emilia said contritely, or at least appearing to be so to anyone who had not known her since she was an infant. He just nodded and sat back down, and hid his own smile behind his wineglass.

********************************London*******************************

April 2, 2016
1:25 am

A long, black limo slid to a stop in front of a long line of people waiting to enter a neon-lit doorway, under a sign labeled with the rune for-adult activities. A young man in a completely black suit, the cut of which did not quite disguise a bulge at the right hip, slipped from the driver's seat and held open the door.

After a few seconds, a slim, muscled pair of tanned legs emerged, followed by the rest of a young woman with night-black curls, and clad in a black dress that was precariously held up by two thin straps, flowing down from bare shoulders to paint an athletic body, before it flared out at her hips to a loose mid-thigh-length pleated skirt. She took a step forward, ignoring the stares of the onlookers as she turned deep brown eyes back to the limo just as a second woman emerged from the passenger compartment.

The newcomer gave her a small, knowing grin and stretched her arms above her head, before she slipped her hands down her sides, smoothing out a deep blue top and pulling it to almost meet the waistband of a short, black skirt wore low on her hips. She reached out her right hand and took the other girl's left. She interlaced their fingers as she smoothed long, straight black locks with deep blue highlights that exactly matched her top back over her head with her free hand.

Bypassing the line, the pair climbed three short stairs, to stop in front of the rather hulking bouncer that was guarding the door. He cocked his head at them, his hand coming up to cup a headset and nodded to some unheard voice. "Go right in, ladies," he said gruffly, and received a pat on the cheek, from the black-eyed one of the pair. He sighed as he turned back to the line waiting to enter.

Inside, the pair stepped through a curtain and around a sharp double bend in a narrow corridor, almost like the ones in certain entrance gates to old castles. A wall of sound greeted them as they walked forward, and started down a long set of stairs, that might have been designed to display the legs-and other attributes of the more feminine visitors to the club.

The concept was foremost on the mind of the curly-haired young woman as she sighed and started downwards, "I can not believe that you made me pay off that bet on a mission, Nymphadora," Hermione subvocalized over the flat, invisible disc that adhered to her throat, carrying her words to the tiny bead in Tonks' left ear.

Tonks brayed a laugh, "Now if Harry was here, you'd have no problem."

"No," Hermione growled back, and cast a covert Notice-me-not charm, "I would have started the night just fine...if they ended up in his pocket...well that's," she grinned and glanced over out of the corner of her eye, "a good night really."

Tonks laughed and pulled her the rest of the way down the stairs, and towards the crowded bar. She ignored a pair of offers to buy them a drink, and took a pair of shots. She handed one to Hermione, they clinked them together and downed them as one, down to the faint shivers of aftertaste.

Hermione looked up and across the room, her eyes slowly scanning the room, noting absently the dark-eyed men and women scattered about the edge of the room, seemingly randomly and paying not a bit of attention to the rest of the club, but she knew better. She sighed softly and took Tonks' hand once again, leading the other woman to the crowded dance floor, where almost instinctively they started to move together to some slow, almost hypnotic song.

The music changed, moving into an even more liquid beat and the girls continued to dance, their eyes seemingly never leaving the other. Tonks slowly pivoted, her arms coming up and back around Hermione's neck as she danced against the other woman, as Hermione's arms came down to cradle her hips, holding her in place.

A pair of young men in rather expensive club fashions worked closer through the throngs of dancers on the floor, but backed off as Hermione held their eyes for a second. Tonks licked her lips slowly as she held the gaze of another young, dark haired man. He swallowed and turned away, and she laughed to herself as she spun back to face Hermione.

"So, do you see anyone you know," Tonks muttered, her lips almost against the skin of Hermione's ear.

"No, but Deirdre said that we needed to be here, tonight..." She stopped suddenly as a familiar lithe brunette seemed to just appear, moving aside dancers without seeming to even try. "Oh, look," Hermione growled under her breath, "my Mum's Halloween guest."

Clarissa sauntered closer, stopping only inches from Hermione and Tonks. A flicker of lighting, unnoticed in the bright, strobing lights of the club danced around Hermione's fingers, held low next to Tonks' hip, as Hermione watched her darkly, her eyes slowly becoming hazel, as the green bled in.

"Potter," Clarissa snarled, showing a faint trace of her right fang, "Metamorph..."

"Bitch," Tonks greeted in return, "fancy meeting you here."

"Come with me," she hissed and spun on three-inch heels attached to knee-length patent leather boots. She sauntered off, her hips swinging to each side, flicking her skirt like a cat's tail.

"Hermione..."

"Follow her," she whispered, letting her eyes flick to one side just as a brown haired man walked past in the other direction towards the bar, bumping her arm in passing. The faintest tingle danced in her arm and a small smile crossed her lips.

The pair of Aurors passed between two tall, pale men at the back of the club and through a green door that led into a darkened hallway. A quiet buzz carried over the invisible bead in her left ear canal, "We're on site, Bookworm, Chameleon," Remus' warm tones whispered, "but we are light here, it's just me and Leo, and a couple of young kids, there was an attack on a Dragon's Blood storehouse in Manchester just as we were about to leave."

Neither witch commented as they stepped through another door, this one dark red into an intimately lit room. A large fireplace was burning brightly in one corner, shining on a large, soft black leather couch that filled two walls of the small room. A large skylight above let in the light from stars, that for once were shining brightly on a nearly crystal-clear night.

The soft white light, served admirably to accentuate the pale skin of the trio of occupants of the couch, all three of whom looked at them with hungry eyes.

Glancing over, Hermione watched as Lucian stepped from the shadows, and gestured to them, beckoning them closer to the couch. Clarissa gave them once last sneer and settled next to the pair of vampiresses lounging on the couch. Sara and Olga settled around her and Kendal spared the trio a found gaze before he turned dark eyes to Hermione.

"We finally meet, Commander Potter, Commander Lupin," he smiled and gestured towards a small, matching loveseat set in the vee of the couch. When neither moved, he smiled, letting his fangs show, "If I wanted to harm either of you, I would have already done so, please."

"No," Hermione agreed softly and slowly sat onto the loveseat. She crossed her legs and leaned back into the soft black leather, which today matched her hair almost perfectly. "There is that...though I think that you would find the attempt-costly." She slowly looked from him, letting her eyes pass over the three females, and then up towards the hulking Lycan who was now standing to one side before looking back into his eyes, "That and Merlin himself could not save you when my husband kills you, your wives and every adult member of your clan before the next sun set."

"There is that," Kendal agreed quietly. He reached forward and took a deep drink from a crystal goblet of steaming blood, "Forgive me, is there something that you would like? I have a nice chardonnay that one of my California estates puts up." Before Hermione could even open her mouth, a young witch set a pair of filled goblets on the table in front of her. "Now, as to why I had Deirdre arrange for this meeting." He reached over and slowly ran his hand over Clarissa's belly, "I know you have heard the rumors of why we left our homes..."

"And attacked my children," Hermione growled, her eyes lighting fully.

"No," he growled, and looked up and over at Lucian, "while, yes, some of my forces were on that attack, they were under strict orders not to harm any of the children..."

"I rather think that my daughter took a few heads that say otherwise," Hermione replied very quietly as her eyes blazed and every molecule of air in the room seemed to freeze.

"They were not mine, but mercs hired for the occasion, as I am sure that you already knew. And yes," he looked over at Clarissa, "a few of mine were...overzealous, but they have already been, dealt with, and those that died...we both know the cost of what we do."

"I still have not heard a reason while I should not destroy you all right now," Hermione said pleasantly.

"Because, so far, neither of us have crossed the line to where the only recourse is annihilation. And neither of us want that, do we, for no matter who would win, the cost would be prohibitive."

"So why should I trust you?" Hermione asked, picking up the wine and taking a small sip. She sent it floating back to the table, and clasped her hands on her top knee, idly letting one finger stoke the inside of her knee as she fought to keep from showing any emotion.

"Bellatrix Lestrange was behind the attempted murder of your Minister and the death of his wife."

"We know," Tonks growled, "as does everyone with the IQ of a chinchilla."

"But do you know that she is only a pawn," Kendal asked softly, "a pawn that tried to use my loyalty to my people, and my own love to my," he looked at Clarissa once more, "children." He held Hermione's gaze, without a hint of the coercion that she knew that he could bring to bear on almost any other mortal, "I know what you would do, have done for your own, what would you do if your own kind wanted to kidnap them...hold them for your continued...behavior."

Hermione started to reply but stopped as the witch from before walked into the room. Stiffening, Hermione rose as her powers flared as some vague clue filled her senses, her hand flashed downward as the witch reached into her bosom slowly and drew a light wood wand.

"REDUCTO-"

Hermione took a staggering step backwards as she adsorbed the spell, not wanting to deflect it in the tight quarters, only peripherally noticing the red bolt that snapped past her ear as Tonks' Stunner took down the witch.

Kendal rose, hissing as Hermione dove to the young girl's side, "I did not..."

"I know," Hermione said softly, as she flicked her fingers over the girl's face. She frowned as the girl glowed purple, and Hermione ripped away the her top, exposing a softy pulsing red gem on a gold chain, "Someone put a Compulsion Amulet on her, it's like the Imperious, but undetectable to the standard wards that you have on the place."

Kendal nodded as Hermione ripped the necklace from the girl's neck and closed her hand around it. Her eyes flared and the gem powered in a white flash of light. Sudden screams carried to her ears, and she looked back just as a pair of Lycans rushed into the room, small, boxy submachine guns in their hands.

"We're under attack...Death Eaters..."

"It seems," Kendal said lightly, and reached down, pulling his wives to their feet, "that someone has taken exception to our meeting."

"Kendal," Olga said eagerly, like a third year on her first trip to Honeydukes, "does this mean that we can eat them?"

"Yes, my love," he leaned down and kissed her hair, "you can." She started to bounce on her toes, and he looked to Hermione, "Clarissa, Sarah, go with her, and none of you bite the nice Aurors by mistake...they will be ones shooting at the Death Eaters."

The trio vanished, followed quickly by Lucian and the pair of Lycans who had entered. Hermione glanced to Tonks, who reached down under her skirt and drew her wand from an invisible sheath. Hermione followed suit and looked back, just as Kendal cleared his throat, and looked at her with eyes gone fully black, "It seems, M'Lady that your foes have become mine...I must say that my allies are improving."

Hermione nodded and darted out through the passage she had entered, the doors ahead of her already hanging open. The world became a blur of sight and sound as she slipped from the hallway back onto the floor of the club. The lighting was strobing frantically, pulsing in waves through the thin smoke that hung in the room, and only serving to further accentuate the lines of spellfire and the occasional muzzle flash that echoed back.

A brief flicker of warning and she dove to the side, as a crackling blue-white beam stuttered through where her head had just been. A bright orange flare came from her other side as one of Lucian's lycans retaliated only to fail a beat behind the Death Eater as a storm of silver darts from a second shredded his chest.

Hermione vanished in a blur, darting around a table, and vaulted behind a long, chrome and black granite bar. She glanced over to see Tonks panting, and already sporting a long cut down one leg, "Lovely." HARRY!

I'm still outside, he growled back, and she could feel the rush as he shot off a Reductor, that hit a car and detonated with a crash that she heard inside...and incidentally vaporized the two Death Eaters behind it. They Portkeyed a perimeter in place to keep out Aurors, and sent in a second wave into the club...Remus and the pair of kids I had out here are down, Remus is alright, though he can't walk at the moment...I'm coming, Mione...

I'll be here, she snapped back and took a breath, letting her now glowing eyes lose focus as she felt out through the still crowded room, Love you, Harry, she whispered as she flicked back into the fray.

An errant shot snapped into the ceiling, tearing off a sprinkler head lost in the black expanse and suddenly a dark, cold rain filled the room, sweeping the smoke away and replacing it with torrents of water. Hermione spun out of the way of a screaming Muggle and flung her to the ground just as a Death Eater sliced at her with a large knife. A flashing heel and he crumpled to the ground as his neck cracked with a loud snap heard over the sound of spellfire.

Hermione leapt backwards, and flicked her wand sideways. A purple wave neatly sliced another in half and she vanished, reappearing behind another pair near the door. One spun, lifting his wand, and screamed hoarsely as his wand hand fell away, only to silence a heartbeat later as she flicked her right hand blade across his throat. A push at the air and his partner flew across the room to crash through a drum set set on a small stage.

The dark rain and still strobing lights were surreal as she watched a pair of female Death Eaters go down under the fangs of Kendal's wives. Hermione batted away a Cutting Curse and vanished, reappearing and slashing her wand downward.

A silver jet neatly drilled a hole in the white mask of yet another Death Eater, even as the two standing next to him fell with the loud boom of a shotgun blast. She paused, vanishing into invisibly, a trick that would not have worked except for the lack of light, due to the rain still pouring down on her and took a look around. Still another ten or so Death Eaters stood or crouched around the room, opposed by it looked to be three or so Lycans still standing and the three Vampiresess. Tonks was back behind the bar, wrapping a conjured bandage around her leg. Hermione's stomach quivered as she noticed at least ten, probably more young Muggles on the floor, victim for the most part of Kedavras, the dark's spell of choice, along with one of Kendal's Lycans', his chest ripped away by a ripper and two dark, charred spots that were probably once vampires.

Now, Harry's voice cried in her mind and she took a breath and leapt slightly in the air. A gold ball shot from her wand, and exploded on the ground, sending out a ring of force that sent everyone crashing to the ground-just as the wall to the outside exploded inward.

A dark shape strode through the car-sized gap, a gloved hand flashed and a blue ball of plasma vaporized a pair of Death Eaters as they rose to their feet. Another two died, as Kendal walked from the side corridor and snapped their necks as if matchsticks without breaking stride even as Harry vanished and reappeared in the center of three more.

A long, blade whistled through the streaming water, passing just above his head as he dropped to one knee and cut up and right, exploding back to his feet with the movement to complete the circle around and down, sending a forever-stunned head rolling to the floor in a spray of blood that was quickly washed away by the sprinklers. A third Death Eater roared and leapt at him, just as he flipped the blade inverted and stabbed backwards, skewering him through the throat.

Hermione spun to the left, avoiding a Kedavra that blew another hole in the barback above Tonks' head, and dipped, before flipping upwards and twisting to land lightly behind another pair, her short-sword length blades flashing downwards as she moved. A soft cry came from behind her as she landed on cat feet and ducked, sweeping her leg to take another down, killing him with a Piercing Charm before he hit the both with a wet thud. She looked up as a last Death Eater gathered himself to Apparate away and contemptuously vaporized a leg, sending him tumbling into the half-flooded floor.

A burst of gunfire from her left, and she spun, just in time to watch a Lycan raise the muzzle of his weapon from a Death Eater's head, who had been on the ground. A sudden, near-silence filled the air, except for the distant wail of sirens as the Muggle Authorities started to respond to the sudden commotion. Bloody terrific, she groaned and looked down at herself just as Harry slipped over, steeping around the smashed remains of tables, and stopping periodically to check on wounded Muggles that had been caught in the crossfire.

A loud series of, continuous pops, like a popcorn popper on amphetamines came from the street outside, audible through the large, new door Harry had added to the club, and Hermione watched as white-suited witches and wizards rushed in to start to tend to the wounded, hot on the heals of a half dozen flying squad members in Dragonskin and Kevlar armor, that had been summoned from the standby teams at the Ministry. They lifted their various weapons towards the remaining vampires and Lycans, even as they did as well.

"NO," Hermione snapped, "They are on our side."

"But, Ma'am--" Tom Barrington, the leader of the on-call team started to object, looking between her and them even as the rest of his team kept them covered.

"They are on our side, for now at least," Hermione said more calmly, and jumped just slightly as a medic triggered a Portkey, taking her and three patients away. "Secure the perimeter...Now, damn it." The team scurried to obey, and Hermione felt Harry's lips brush her hair on his way past to check on Tonks. He vaulted the bar and she glanced over as he fed her Tonks' condition over the link; nothing that the Metamorph could not fix with sleep, and a bit of protein.

"I am impressed with your prowess," Kendal remarked softly as he approached Hermione, with his wives slowly crowding around him. "I am even more grateful that we may be able to see our way out of our impasse, now that my ex...associates, show their true colors." He nodded to Harry as Harry came up to stand next to Hermione, his sword still in one hand and glowing faintly, the water hissing quietly as it touched the blade.

The indoor rain stopped as someone got the fire system shut off and the sound of sirens died as someone in the Ministry got the Muggle authorities diverted for now.

"What do you want, Kendal?" Harry asked in a growl, and the vampire shrugged elegantly.

"I wish safety for my beholden and my progeny, which is what all of this was about in the beginning. There were promises made, that were not held to, lies that were told to us, that we, that I believed, or let myself believe in an attempt to get me and mine out from under the thumb of the Elder Clans. However, as Bella and her master, seem to think us...unreliable, I think that we will oblige them."

"What can you tell us about her...master?" Tonks asked as she limped over, pushing away a medic who scowled and left to look for someone more...tractable to heal.

"I have never met him, but I know that he controls her in some fashion...Nor can I tell you where he is, as I am positive that his location is under the Fidelius, and possibly other charms. However, I can tell you this...They are waiting for something, I know not what. I think, that originally, they were going to use my forces as a distraction, or possibly as a route to get something...something that would prove difficult for them to do on their own. But they seem to have abandoned us, and now have betrayed us...I will not forget this..." He looked to Hermione, "Nor will I forget that you and your compatriots fought them when you could have just waited for the two sides to sort themselves out."

He took a step back, "Now if you will forgive me, I need to get Clarissa out of here," the female vampire was almost quivering, her fangs were glinting a red tinged white and her eyes were still fully black unlike her two companions, who had returned to their 'natural' hues. "She is rather...excitable in her condition." The quartet vanished into nothingness and Lucian gave the Aurors a warrior's nod before slowly backing away and leading his remaining people out the back, carrying their fallen with them. Hermione waved away the Aurors to let them pass and sighed and took Harry's hand as he led her outside through the hole in the wall.

The crowd that had been in place when they arrived was long gone; the streets aside from a dozen armored Aurors, and about that number of healers and investigators, were empty. Harry led her into the limo she had arrived in, and closed the door after them.

Instantly, as soon as the door closed, Hermione crawled into his lap with a soft squishing sound of wet cloth on leather. She tucked her head under his as he stoked her bare leg, Alright there, Mione? he asked after a moment, and conjured a brightly colored blanket one handed and draped it over her shoulders.

Yeah, I'm fine, Love...she looked down and sighed, but I have to buy Em a new dress now...since I sorta borrowed this one.

Harry snorted and kissed her wet hair. She started to play with the zipper of his infiltration suit, This was an...interesting night.

Bella and her...master, lost an ally, so I guess it was a win, though they were going to leave the fold anyway.

Do you think that we can count on them for anything?

Doubt it, Hermione shrugged, I think he gave us what he knew already...It can't be Tom, Harry, she said quickly as a thought crossed his mind, he's dead, there's no way he could have split his soul even further. He wouldn't have had enough control to battle us like he did, if he could have even kept his body together.

What if she did manage to give birth, Hermione, I know the role never recorded it and it's never been fooled before, but...

Even so, the child would not even be eighteen yet...

We killed Tom and I was only seventeen, and you eighteen, he reminded her.

Hermione nodded and cuddled closer, But even so...we couldn't have killed him except together, and then even Dumbledore had a part...he would only be one person...still, why are they waiting, it doesn't make sense, there has to be some reason. Maybe Luna has finally been able to see something concrete.

What about Harriet?

She's young and scared, and her future husband is possibly in danger, and even if he isn't really, she'll think he is...I think that that one prophesy is all we are going to get out of her. She doesn't have the distance to see clearly, if at all, and I really doubt Luna does either.

************************Room of Requirement*****************************

April 8, 2016
8:15 pm

A head of inky black hair was bent low; tired, green eyes scanning slowly over a long series of notes on the theory of the Opporto Felicium Charm, a modified Fidelius Charm used to hide objects for a brief period. Sirius had been trying to study for his OWLs in the Gryffindor Common Room but had rapidly given up as a dozen Sixth Years were having a raucous "study session"-complete with their significant others.

Likewise, the Heads' Common Room was useless to him, even though his aunt was one of the Heads, as Anastasia and Nathan were most likely "studying" as well. The Library was always filled with chattering first years at this hour, none of whom ever seemed to understand that he really did not want to tell stories of his parents.

After another minute of exasperated staring at the same page, Sirius took off his glasses and set them on the table before dropping his head to his book and sighing mightily. As he rested his mind, and eyes, the heavy oak door behind him opened without a sound and another joined him.

She closed the door, taking care not to disturb him and stopped to watch him for a moment. A faint sigh slipped from her lips as she took him in, the stack of books, the pile of papers, and the several broken quills that had ended up in a pile on the floor next to him.

She toed off a pair of sandals and started over to him, walking silently, the ponytail that her just-beyond shoulder-length red hair was in, swinging with her movements.

"Hi, Harriet," Sirius muttered as she got halfway across the room. He hunched his shoulders slightly, then relaxed almost totally as she wrapped her arms around him from behind and kissed the back of his neck.

"When did you know it was me?" Harriet breathed in his ear; she glanced over at a comfortable-looking, overstuffed red couch that had just appeared in front of the fireplace that the room insisted on creating almost every time it was used.

Sirius smiled slightly into the book, "About when you stepped from the Common Room."

Harriet grinned and pulled him up from the book and started to pull him up out of the chair.

"Harriet, I have to study...you told me I needed to study..."

"But I want to snog," she pouted as she managed to pull her only moderately resisting boyfriend to his feet. She sighed contently as he wrapped his arms around her, slipping the tip of his fingers into the back pockets of her jeans and pulled her to him. Her wish was granted a moment later as he leaned in. Harriet moaned as her mouth opened to his, and her thoughts slipped away, so much that she only was bumped back to reality as the back of her knees hit the seat of the couch and she collapsed back into the seat, breaking away from him. "You need to take a break, anyway," she added with an utterly practical lilt to her voice, reaching up to grab his hands, "you really don't want your brain to overheat, then I would be very lonely. I don't like being lonely."

Sirius smiled and sat down on the couch next to her. He barely had time to take a breath before she crawled over to straddle his lap, settling in comfortably and resting her head on his shoulder. "You'll never be lonely as long as I'm here," he bent his head slightly to the side, kissing her hair. "I thought you and Em were working with McGonagall on her project?"

"Got bored," Harriet replied, squirming on his lap enough to cause a slight groan from the youngest Potter. She pulled back slightly, and reached up, pulling his glasses from his face and tossing them in the general direction of an end table next to the couch. "There we go, much better."

"Now how will I see?" he asked, slightly amused.

Smirking, Harriet moved on his lap again.

Sirius felt his face color as he reacted to her; he looked down, away from her eyes. "I'm...sorry..." he muttered, still not looking up at her as he tried to set her aside.

Harriet rolled her eyes slightly, and grabbed his hips, holding herself in place, "I'm not," she let go of his hips, taking his face in both of her hands and pulling it to hers. Silvery-grey eyes focused on his, slipping past barriers both natural and trained. Sirius swallowed heavily, as he felt himself stretching towards her without moving a muscle, and shook his head slightly. "What's wrong, Sirius...I do make you...horny?"

Sirius laughed despite himself, "That's it...no more classic movie nights for you..." Slowly, he reached up, tracing his fingers along her cheek, she leaned into his hand, as her eyes slipped closed, "Are you sure that you want this, Harriet?" Sirius shuddered slightly as he fought his own soul, fighting to hold it back from the bright presence only inches from his own. "Someone...safer...you saw what they tried with Xander, they went after him to get to Em, to my parents..."

Harriet closed the inches between them and kissed him, shutting him up abruptly. She pulled away, resting her forehead on his as she slowly opened her eyes, the faint glow there competing with the flickers of emerald fire that lit his eyes. "And Em and him stacked them like cordwood, and that was before your parents and his showed up..." Harriet took a breath, "I don't want safe, Siri...I want you." She looked down without moving her head, "It's your birthday, Potter."

Sirius grinned, and kissed her nose, "What did you get me?"

"Me..."

"Oh..." He took a quick breath as she reached to his waistband and started to slowly undo buttons from his belt buckle upward. "You weren't giving me the mickey, were you?"

Harriet shook her head, and kissed him, holding her lips to his as she finished with his shirt and started to push it from his shoulders. She pulled back slightly, looking around the room, she caught sight of a simple, large four-poster in the corner, decorated in red and gold, and she took a slightly shaky breath.

Harriet glanced down at herself, "I'm sorry I didn't dress up...I must look a fright, I mean...Em gave me a book to read, and then I got...but then I realized that I had forgot that you were up here all alone, and...but then I had to stop and keep Gaheris from eating some Slytherin's cat, though I don't know why really, if they really wanted their pets to survive they wouldn't let them around my Familiar-"

Sirius kissed her, silencing her quickly, "You are gorgeous, Harriet, you are here...the rest is just details." He kissed her forehead, not quite meeting her eyes, not yet, as he felt his mind slipping away, his soul quivering to slip forward a few inches in space, to intertwine with hers. His eyes relaxed slightly, slipping unconsciously into another spectrum, to see the lights of her aura, blue-white radiance, dancing at the edge of his own, blending into one solid color where they met. He blinked, and the image faded away from his eyes, but not his mind, as he took a breath, his hands shaking slightly as they rested on the small of her back, under her shirt.

"Is it going to hurt, Sirius?" Harriet whispered.

Sirius lifted a hand to run through her hair, letting it down from the tail she had had it in, "I don't rightly know, Harriet... I'm not a girl, luv, and I never want to lie to you, either way." He shrugged slightly, "I don't think I could, even if I wanted to."

"I didn't mean that-I already talked to Mum about that," Harriet responded quietly, tilting her head to push into his hand, "and I know you can't Sirius, at least not to me."

"Oh..." Sirius lifted his eyes to hers, holding them for a long moment, "I don't know, Harriet, I don't think so, not in and of itself anyway." He smiled, slightly stroking her hair and leaning up to kiss her brow, "I'd have thought you'd done your research on the topic."

She smiled, "There are five-hundred-thirty-three recorded instances of Soul Bonds, Marriage Bonds, whatever, in the archives over the last five hundred years...at least where the participants show at least limited telepathy. Curiously, your parents aren't listed, nor are Em and Xan, of course...Though until Granddad became Minister, the Ministry was evil, of course, so..."

"So you don't know," Sirius replied, and Harriet shook her head quickly.

"No, I don't," she admitted almost shamefully.

He took a breath, and let his eyes meet hers, feeling it as they flared to life fully, the emerald glow falling onto her cheeks, as his fingertips slipped down from under her shirt, to find the very slight bump of her coccyx, revealed as her jeans gapped in the back, where her tail would emerge. Sirius let his fingertips start to rub her bum, though the thin cotton of her knickers, "Let's find out, then, love."

Harriet swallowed, her eyes damp where they looked into his. She gasped as a trickle of magic bridged the small gap between them, "R...really..."

"I think it's about time, don't you," he muttered as he leaned forward and kissed her, sending a pure line of fire directly to her core. His lips slowly left her lips, trailing across the side of her face and down her neck to settle in the hollow of her neck.

She could only let out a soft moan in reply, and nod, as the one last barrier of her mind that had doubted their joining crumbled away. Oh...Merlin, she whispered as her mind and soul slipped forward, weaving inevitably and irreversibly with another. Harriet gasped, as she moved against him automatically, feeling a wave of warmth race down her body, from an entirely different set of nerves.

The world slowly swirled and shook, as sparkling bits of witchfire lit the corners of the room, sparkling in time to their suddenly-shared heartbeats.

She looked down as his fingers worked at the edge of her sweatshirt, her arms went up automatically at he pulled at it, tugging it loose with only the slight resistance from her hair. His hands fell back to her waist, cradling her as she leaned forward, hiding her nose in his neck, and pressing her chest to his.

Inconceivious, she breathed. She felt the odd buzzing that had filled her head for so long, start to fade to silence, to slowly be replaced with a faint warm presence wrapping around her thoughts, caressing her heart even as physical hands slipped up to slowly rub along the sides of her breasts, causing a soft gasp, as much thought as uttered, to slip out.

Sirius' fingers trembled as she leaned back, as if reading his mind, and he brushed his thumbs across twin nubbins.

A whimper, then she bit his shoulder, almost hard enough to draw blood. She felt herself being lifted up, a hand under her bum and a second cradling her head, as Sirius rocked backwards to his feet, holding her all the while.

He set her gently down on the bed an instant later, God you're beautiful, he murmured, and her eyes widened, as the thought became fully manifest.

S...Sirius...she whispered, her 'voice' wondrous as she 'heard' his voice in her head, as clear as anything that her ears or dreams had ever provided.

He just nodded, crawling onto the bed to hang over her on hands and knees. He balanced there and reached down, slowly stoking her cheek, before he leaned down and kissed her.

Reaching up, Harriet lost her fingers in his hair, watching as they vanished and reappeared, before pulling him down to her. She moaned, arching up into him, as he kissed her, allowing their tongues to duel for a moment, before his lips trailed down and settled on her throat. Her fingers left his head, tangling in the comforter, as he continued downward slowly, almost timidly.

Grey eyes slowly flickered closed, hiding occasional flickers of emerald fire, matching the eyes that were lit above her, and casting a faint glow on her chest as the lights in the room dimmed. Only the soft light of several dozen candles and the fire from the grate remained. She let go of the comforter and grabbed his head with both hands, as he took a nipple between his lips, teasing it, until it stood to attention. Her eyes opened and closed, showing a flicker of slightly oblong pupils, before her fingers slipped down, to lightly press between them.

Sirius hissed as her hand brushed him through the fabric of his jeans. He worked more between her legs, and rocked against her instinctively.

Harriet wrapped one leg around his and rolled them over, before sitting back up on her knees, straddling his thighs. Pausing, she looked down him with a hungry look filling her eyes, every inch the tigress she could become with a thought...or occasionally with much less. She let her fingers brush his chest, feeling along the muscles of his chest, tracing along the lines of his abs, before she took a breath, her hands shaking slightly as they stopped, resting on the top button of his jeans. She let her left hand fall to the side, unsnapping the buckle of the thigh strap on his wand sheath, before she unbuckled his wandbelt with both hands.

The battered dragonhide fell to each side, as she pulled her own wand from a leg pocket and tossed it onto the small table at the bedside. A small pink tongue slipped out, wetting her lips absently as she unbuttoned his jeans, her eyes locked on bulge in a pair of boxers with a large smiley face on the front.

Sirius laughed as Harriet stuck her tongue out at the animated image; then he groaned, as a small hand started to stroke him through the cotton. H...Haarrriet, he sputtered, only to hear her giggle in his thoughts. The boots vanished with a thought, to make it easier on her as she pulled on his jeans working them down and off, taking his socks with them as they reached the edge of the bed. His heart skipped a beat as Harriet continued down to roll off the bed, to stand next to it, the soft, flickering light of the candles casting shadows on her face and torso.

"I love you, Sirius," she mouthed before she unbuttoned her jeans and started to slide them off, holding his gaze the entire time. Harriet let them pool on the floor, before hooking her thumbs in the sides of her knickers, displacing the Kneazles cavorting around the fabric. Folding in two, she slid them down to her ankles and stepped out of the pile of clothes, before she stalked back to the bed, to crawl on top of him. Your turn, she murmured as she pulled his boxers down and off, only to giggle again as he stood to her attentions.

A shuddering breath passed through her lips as she lowered herself between his legs, reaching up to cradle his head between her hands as she kissed him. She slowly let her weight fall on him, pressing him into the soft bed. Her head dropped to his shoulder, allowing her to nuzzle at his neck.

A quiet purr filled the room, as his fingers started to stroke along her spine, causing her to begin to grind against him, moving up as she did to end with her forehead pressed to his. She slowly opened her eyes, holding his gaze and sharing breath as she nodded once, slowly, her lower lip trembling slightly.

Rolling them over, Sirius held her head with one hand, cradling it until it was resting on a gold silk pillow, once again provided by the ever-helpful castle. Are you sure? he whispered, his breathing slightly strained as he fought his instincts, his eyes tracking down her neck to watch her chest heaving nervously under him.

Her hand slipped between them, and grabbed him. How am I going to get shagged if you keep asking, and not doing? she asked in a wry, forced voice as she positioned him, or at least tried to... "Ow."

"Sorry," Sirius replied reflexively, met her eyes, and they both laughed. He swallowed as the smile fell away, "I do love you, you know," he mentioned, softly, and she nodded, grabbing him again, and this time aiming a touch better.

Her eyes slipped closed as Sirius slid home, groaning as he felt her around him, warmer and softer at the same time than anything he had ever even imagined, let alone experienced. He froze as he felt resistance, Harriet, I...

She reached up, rolling her eyes slightly and pulled down on him. A soft hiss escaped her lips, and she panted, her eyes closing tightly, as a sharp spike of pain flickered through her belly. Harriet tightened her arms around Sirius as she felt him start to slip backwards, pulling him tightly into her.

Sirius kissed her eyelids, urging them to open. He smiled as she met his, the faint glow increased, and her pain slowly faded to nothingness, leaving only a warm, content feeling. Please, Harriet...can I?

She rocked upwards, once, and fisted her hands in his hair, kissing him as he started to move in her awkwardly. Harriet let her legs fold open further, and with an instinct much, much older than herself, brought them up to cross behind his back. She started to rock disconcertedly back against him. A few more moves, and slowly, they fell into a rough rhythm.

Faintly flickering greenish-grey eyes fluttered closed as she felt Sirius speeding up, and she pulled his head to her shoulder. Letting one hand drop from his head, she reached down between them, half-remembered stories from her sisters flicking though her thoughts as she started to rub herself desperately, trying to catch up to Sirius as she felt him start to tighten.

Flickers of fire raced from where her fingers touched, joining the slowly growing flames from somewhere slightly below, to puddle deep in her belly. The warmth grew and started to boil, as Sirius started to pant heavily, as the base of his spine and his abs tightened.

"Ohh..." Sirius grunted, his eyes closed as Harriet pulled his head back to hers with the fingers still tangled in his hair, and rubbed even faster. "I'm going to..."

"G...go ahead," Harriet whispered harshly and Sirius groaned and gave up on the losing battle.

He bucked into her several more times and let go with a harsh scream. His world spiraled away as his thoughts and soul fell forward to intertwine totally with hers.

Pure color and sound washed over Harriet as his feelings intertwined with hers, even as a welcome warmth filled her. She gasped, "S...Sirius..." she cried out, shocked, as she followed, the movement of her fingers along with his feelings, pulling her over the precipice. The world dimmed, becoming a single pair of half-closed, glowing emeralds, as she collapsed limply against the bed.

The world returned in sputters of color, as her vision slowly returned, and she watched as the pure colors of their combined auras filled the air around her. She fought for air, seemingly more exhausted than if she had dueled for days, and started to stroke his spine, finding the energy to tighten her legs and arms around him as he started to pull away. No, stay.

I...I'm sorry, Harriet, I should have----

It's alright, my Prince...we can work on it. She kissed the side of his head, for the rest of time if need be.

That's a long time, he whispered as he settled his weight on her, which she took gratefully, and closed his eyes, yawning slightly.

Yeah, love, Harriet replied, it is.

A/N: Ok, there you go. Next chapter, A date in Hogsmeade, and the Darkness does dark things....

Ok, as for the announcement. Barring meteorite strikes, or invasions by sixty-foot-tall aliens that look suspiciously human and are looking for an odd flower, I am planning to have at least one Christmas Fic up, and possibly two, though if the second gets done in time, it will be posted at my Livejournal, as it will be a Harry/Hermione/Luna fic....snigger.

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40. Chapter 39: Watching From the Shadows

A/N: Oh, look, a chapter. Thanks as usual to Lady Starlight for her work on this fic, let's go...
Chapter 39: Watching from the Shadows.
*****************************Hogwarts***********************************
April 16, 2016
9:25 am

"You think he'll like it?" Harriet asked nervously as she stood in front of a full length mirror looking back at herself. Her image stuck its tongue out at her, and then twirled in place, causing the short split skirt of an emerald green Chinese dress to flutter up, exposing a brief flash of black, before it settled down. A rampant gold lion was imprinted along the right side, with its head resting on her breast and its tail curling around on the back of her skirt, with a mandarin collar pulled up and laced together at the hollow of her throat.

She turned around, fingering the charm on her black jeweled collar nervously and watched as Em and Rain finished their preparations for the Hogsmeade visit. Harriet smoothed the skintight fabric down her sides nervously, before she slipped over to her bed to lace on black boots.

Emilia rolled her eyes out of sight of Harriet, and slipped over to sit next to her, as Rain continued to dig through her trunk for something. Em hugged her sideways and kissed the top of her head, "You're beautiful, Harriet." Em shared a grin with Rain as the third teen finally found the skirt she had lost and slipped it on, fastening it and pulling it down to ride low on her hips. "I'd be more worried that he might jump you in the middle of the High Street."

"Really?" Harriet smiled softly her eyes going slightly vague, she frowned, "But wouldn't all that gravel be uncomfortable, I rather he waited until we could get to the grass...But if he wants to-"

"It was an expression, Harriet," Emilia replied with a laugh, even as she marveled at Rain as the taller girl started to make several objects vanish about her person, even though her skirt was as short as the other two's and her top as tight. "Did I ever tell you that you are paranoid, Rain?"

Rain just stared at her for a moment, "Unless I very much miss my guess, you have your sword in a pocket universe ready to appear at a ward trip, my beloved sister," she retorted, pausing to stick out her tongue as she walked over to sit on Harriet's other side. "Just because I am-cautious," she growled as she laced up her own boots, which like her 'sisters' and unlike what several of the other girls would be wearing today had practical, low heels, "doesn't mean that I'm paranoid."

Emilia nodded, "I was just teasing, you know that."

Rain shrugged and nodded, "You look shaggable, Harriet," she grinned

"Oi," Emilia snorted, "what about me?"

"I've always thought you were, Emilia...but wouldn't Xander get jealous?" Rain's eyes were dancing, and she ducked quickly as Emilia flicked a finger and a half dozen pillows shot from about the room to pummel her gently. Rain laughed as she rolled from the bed stand in front of the other two, and pull them to their feet, "Let's get our boys before they get into trouble."

"We really should," Harriet replied thoughtfully, as she grabbed her wand sheath from her bed in passing and stopped to strap it to her thigh, and smoothed her skirt over the grip, with the rest of the sheath exposed. She tapped it with one emerald-polished nail and it faded away, seemingly blending into her leg as the built-in Disillusionment Charm on the sheath activated. "After all the sooner we leave, the soon we get back. I really don't like to let Sirius go for more than a day or so...He's just so-"

"Let's go," Emilia said quickly, grabbing Harriet's hand in one and Rain's in her other and pulling both of them out of the room before Harriet could explain her brother's...Whatever it was, despite her utter love for both of them, she really did not want to know.

Unfortunately for her, Rain seemed to; "You've only been for what, a week?"

Harriet shrugged as they reached the top of the steps spiraling downward into the Common Room, "Yes...but I miss him so terribly if he's not with me," she muttered, and Em nodded, grabbing Harriet's hand again and pulling her to a stop.

Rain stopped as well, as Emilia nibbled on her lower lip for a moment, "Is it really that bad, Harriet?" she asked softly, and unconsciously Rain nodded, as if answering the question as well. Emilia frowned, and hugged Harriet, kissing her forehead again, before stepping back, "I've been selfish, haven't I?"

Both of the others looked confused.

"I've been sneaking off to curl up next to mine every night...I forgot what it was like not having them there, I've been with Xander almost since that first night."

Rain shuffled her feet; "It's not so bad with me. We can't do any better than line of sight anyway, so as long as I can feel he's alive, I'm...okay, I guess."

Harriet shrugged, "I'm alright, Em," she said quietly, "We just have to get to June and then I can sleep properly again...Though I do find that sleep comes rather nicely after a good few hours of shagging."

Emilia snorted, and Rain guffawed, "Yeah, it really does. Let's go."

The trio slipped down the spiral stairs, dodging to the side once as a pair of pets tore by, the two cats in hot pursuit of a rat the a first year had brought. Emilia frowned at some half-remember tale and shrugged, leading the other two into the Common Room. She just smiled and brushed her hair behind her ear, as she found Xander sitting with his back to her, playing Justin a quick game of chess. She slipped up behind him and wrapped her arms around his neck as she rested her chin on his head.

Xander's next move failed as he shuddered and let his eyes close, fighting the urges that his mate's pheromones were calling to him. Damn it, Emilia.

She laughed and moved around in front of his chair, to crawl into his lap. She did not bother to fix her skirt as Justin looked up, his eyes only for Rain.

She bent down in front of him, upsetting the chessboard, and giving Xander a quick shimmy just to annoy Emilia before kissing Justin. Emilia sighed heavily, "Dear, I'd really have to hate to knock you through the wall."

Rain snorted as she dropped onto Justin's lap, "Like you would." She looked back past Emilia, and nodded with her head, causing Emilia to turn as well.

Harriet was nodding slowly as she continually tucked one long red lock behind an ear. She blushed at something, though Sirius never opened his lips, but only continued to look at her, from the several inches height difference he had gained over the year. He slowly reached out to take one hand in hers, Merlin you're beautiful.

It's the dress, Harriet muttered, glancing down.

Sirius shook his head and pulled her forward, wrapping his arm around the small of her back even as she sighed softly. He looked over at the couches and glared the others, until Emilia gave him a small nod and stood, pulling the rest after her.

"We'll save you a carriage, Sirius," Emilia called across the room and he nodded. They left, soon followed by Virginia and Kris, who stood near the entrance hole for a minute before being joined by Lawrence and leaving with a wave that Sirius did not return.

No it's not, and you know it, Sirius retorted, kissing her hair, it was bad again last night, wasn't it? His words were a statement of fact, not a question.

She nodded, Promise me something.

Anything.

I don't want to sleep alone tonight, Sirius, I don't care if we shag or not...but I can control it when you are with me.

Nodding, We'll figure something out...if nothing else use one of the cloaks to come up to my room. He smiled at something; I forgot to tell you, Dobby came by earlier...he asked if it was okay if he put your stuff in my room at home, I told him yes.

He kissed her hair again, "Let's go, Harriet, you know how testy my sister gets when she has to wait."

Harriet nodded as she spun from his arms, intertwining their fingers and leading him to the portrait hole, "Indeed, one would wonder if she was born during Banded Bandicoot mating season, it is quite odd."

Ron sighed mightily as he stepped out of the Twin's Hogsmeade shop, having just stopped by to chat with Fred, as his eyes caught sight of the pair of students standing a few dozen meters away. The taller of the pair, his messy black hair dancing in the slight breeze from the lake, was looking down, his eyes hidden behind round grey lenses that had darkened in the sun. He slowly traced his fingers up and down the spine of his partner, an athletic redhead in a short emerald green dress.

For just a moment, memories of a long-ago time crossed his mind as he remembered another young man with messy black hair holding another redhead. The image slowly passed as subtle differences became apparent. The fall of red hair, that was dancing merrily in the breeze was slightly curled, hanging in very loose ringlets down her back, almost, except for the color, the same as the hair of the witch that followed Ron out of the store and wrapped her arms around his side. Not the ruler straight locks of the girl in his memories.

The stance of the pair was all wrong as well, for all the times that Ron had seen the pair in his memories together, they had never just stood together so peacefully, not snogging, just with her head tucked under his chin, and her face buried contently in his neck. The girl was also taller than the one in his memories, at least good four or five inches so, with the legs to prove it. There was nothing untoward in either student's behavior, their actions perfectly acceptable for Hogsmeade, and actually much less demonstrative than some he might find, but they were utterly intimate all the same. So much so that Ron felt slightly uncomfortable watching the pair.

Ron watched as the girl laughed at something, not moving from her partner's easy embrace, and Ron looked down at his wife as she snuggled against him. He licked his lips and swallowed slightly, "They are sleeping together, aren't they?" he murmured, possibly not loud enough to be even a vibration.

She heard anyway, somehow, "Yes," Luna replied succinctly, "they are."

Ron swallowed, "You shouldn't have let her get that dress."

Luna chuckled quietly, "She looks lovely-"

"Beautiful."

"Quite," Luna agreed as she ran her hand up and down his back, "she loves him, Ronald. He's good for her, and you knew it was going to happen eventually. Honestly, I'm rather amazed that they made it to his birthday." Luna smiled softly as she rested her head under his arm, "She needs him, Ronnie, as much as I need you."

"Why couldn't she have waited until she was thirty?" he half moaned, even as Harriet slowly bent her head back and rose on her toes slightly, to accept a soft kiss.

It broke a breath later and she pulled back, rolling to his side and wrapping both of her arms around his right one, letting him lead her away towards the Three Broomsticks and lunch. Sirius opened the door for her automatically, and followed her through.

Ron sighed once more, "Let's go to Scrivenshaft's, I need more red ink."

"Yes, my King," Luna replied smiling to herself, and pulled him the direction of the stationary store. She did not quite dare to meet his eyes, in fear that she would break out in a chuckle at his expression.

A moment later a rather unremarkable man dressed in nondescript robes and with a face that others forgot a few minutes later stood from where he had been sitting on a bench across from the Three Broomsticks. He put away a copy of the Saturday Prophet and walked down the high street away from the castle. He paused for a beat as he passed Weasleys' Wizarding World, before continuing on, his pace never varying from the moderate one he had started out on. He stopped as he reached a side alley, a block down from WWW, and stepped into it, and knelt down as if to tie a shoe.

A glance of dark eyes to either side, and he slid a wand from his sleeve, and drew a circle in the air with the tip. A shimmering silver puddle appeared, about a foot in diameter and after a moment a soft, dark voice issued from it.

"Speak."

He swallowed at the faint sillbants he heard, "She is away from the protections of the castle, M'Lord. She is only with one other; shall I have my men move in to take her? It would be trivial, she could not resist us."

The voice seemed to pause and consider his words, "No, take no action, the time is not yet right. You are merely to watch them. Take no action."

"Not even if I find her alone?" He froze, as Emilia emerged from the store across from him, alone for the moment. He fingered his wand, but she never turned in his direction, instead picking up her pace as she moved towards Honeydukes. The wizard slipped around the corner just in time to watch her take one leaping step towards Xander and to be caught with easy grace.

He slipped back around the corner. "Only the spawn are here...that and the blood-traitor, We can take them."

"I said no," the voice snarled, and he shook. "Continue with the mission. Have you given our agent the device?"

"Yes, it was disguised as a Weasley's product."

"Excellent," a quiet laugh, "rather ironic...Gather your men and leave, do not engage, the time is too near to risk it with foolish escapades." The circle closed with a faint snap, and the wizard stood, quickly replacing his wand and looking around once more. He took a step backwards and vanished with a faint crack of displaced air.

**************************Seacave******************************

April 20, 2016
1:35 am

Hermione grunted as a drop of nearly black water dripped onto her forehead and ran down into one eye. Reaching up with her unoccupied hand she looked to her right and gave Harry a one-eyed glare in the blue-white light of their wand beams. He shrugged and she sighed, before looking back away from him.

Looking back over her shoulder, she stared at the now, solid, stone wall they had entered through a few minutes before and sighed. She slipped forward to stand at his shoulder and started to slowly pan her wand about the vast, underground chamber.

A soft, greenish glow still remained, casting odd shadows on her face, making her faint frown seem much more severe. Walking to the edge of the brackish water, she glanced to one side, and stared at the faint burn trails still present on the walls at chest height. There's nothing here, Harry, she whispered, looking back to her husband as he knelt next to a small wooden boat, pulled up to the shore of the water. Nothing but misery.

He looked across at the a small island in the water, at a small basin sitting there, and a abandoned chalice sitting on the it of ground at it's feet. I know, he sighed and fell back onto his bum on the small beach. Reaching up, he cupped his hand at his shoulder and a flicker of power later, a head-sized, glowing orb appeared, lighting the dark cavern, or at least their part of it.

I just thought, Harry groaned tiredly, I thought there might have been something, anything...

Harry--

I know, Hermione, Harry picked at the sand, not looking at her, I just want to end this...soon, the kids should be safe enough at Hogwarts, but the clock is running out...Whoever this is, is going to have to come after us directly soon, and I'd rather the kids not be there when they do.

We can hold anyone off at home for a long while, Harry, Hermione said dubiously. Between the wards on lethal, the Twins' new spellcannon, the Redirecting Crystals, and the rest?

Would it stop us, really?

Hermione sighed, Not if we really, really wanted to fight our way in. She walked up behind him and rested her hands on his shoulders, You're right, Harry, they'd be right in it, if we let them...and there are more of them now...And if we were to get attacked, they would never forgive us for keeping them out of it, if we even could.

Harry stood and turned his back at the dark underground lake and walked straight at the wall. He gestured sharply and the wall glowed a green-orange, and then exploded outward as he crushed the blood wards and headed though before the smallest rocks had finished falling. Hermione followed with a faint shrug, any magic in this place was long gone, almost twenty years now.

**************************Hogwarts********************************

5:02 pm

The last of the third years dutifully filled out of Luna's borrowed classroom and she sighed tiredly and hopped up to perch on the edge of the Professor's desk. Despite outward appearances, the thought that she was good enough to fill the indomitable Minerva McGonagall's shoes, was still earth shattering to a girl whose NEWTs had been taken early one Saturday morning at the Ministry.

Looking around for a moment, she played idly with the hem of her skirt, pulling at the brightly colored fabric, watching as a tiny unicorn galloped across her mid-thigh, I need to get Harriet new clothes for the summer, maybe something for her to sleep in...Hermione does keep their house cool...

Her eyes narrowed fractionally as she felt someone stop outside the room, and remain in the hallway, trying to not make a sound. Slowly standing, she slipped back to the floor and silently slipped off her hard soled shoes. Soft grey eyes hardened as the fingers of her right hand curled along her thigh, dragging her skirt up to almost her hip until the well-worn grip of her wand filled her hand.

Luna moved quickly to the door, staying just out of sight of the hallway, before she rolled into it behind her wand in one smooth motion, lowering her body as her weight settled on her thighs, moving quickly and smoothly into the hallway. She sidestepped along the hallway, peeking behind each suit of armor for several long minutes before she slowly lowered her wand with a long, shaking breath.

"Aunt Luna?" a quiet, immature male voice came from behind her, and she turned to find Sirius just rounding the corner into the Transfiguration wing. He moved down the hallway at a half trot, his hand falling to his thigh, but not drawing his wand at something he saw in Luna's face, "You alright?"

"Of course," she replied, shrugging just slightly as her eyes slowly unfocused slightly, relaxing to their normal, dreamy state. "Why wouldn't I be, Sirius, honey?" She swished her hips idly, sending her skirt swirling to each side. "And I thought I said you can call me mum...if you want, that is."

"You seemed to be spooked, A...Mum," Sirius replied, his hand still lingering on the roughened grip of his wand as he slowly reached out to scan the immediate surroundings. Only finding the relatively week magical signatures of a pair of twelve-year-olds a corridor over, he let go of his wand and thrust his hands into the pockets of his uniform trousers, shrugging his shoulders and rocking back on his heels.

"I'm fine, Sirius, I didn't get much sleep last night," she admitted with a smile and started towards the Great Hall, smiling slightly as he fell in at her side automatically. Luna stumbled slightly as a flash of something got past her normal guards and she stopped, and took a breath before continuing on. The visions, like those that she knew her daughter had experienced, was still experiencing, since Christmas were ever more demanding. "I heard from Harriet that you are looking to get a motorcycle like your Dad's," Luna remarked as if nothing had happened, "You do realize that Harriet's hair streaming out behind you two could attract Belgin Razorwings, especially in the summer?" Luna shrugged, "You should really get matching helmets."

"We were going to," Sirius assured her.

"Good, you never know when one might be flying over." Luna glanced down at her wrist, at the silver watch that Hermione had given her when she heard that Luna had become the new Transfiguration teacher. Somewhere amongst the six or so hands, it was difficult to tell how many as at least two were constantly whirring here and there, she seemed to find the time. "I hear that they are having Pheasant today, I'm not sure that is the best dish for this time of year, but we'll see."

Sirius shrugged, and looked down at his feet. Luna stopped and looked back at him, as he continued to look at his feet, his breathing suddenly heavy as a heavy weight settled invisibly on his shoulders. "C...Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, honey," Luna replied softly as she brought the current world back into focus with the aid of years of practice.

"I...I know we're young, and that I'm an idiot for asking this soon-"

"Of course you can, Sirius. But really, it's not like this changes anything," Luna smiled, "Though I might need to change the curtains in the new house...if it ever gets finished," she added in a half grumble under her breath. Her and Ron's new house, currently being built by a combined house elf and wizard crew from one of the Black family construction firm had been supposed to have been completed at the start of this month. But after several delays, most notably the house elf foreman's wife having unexpected triplets, the house had gotten pushed back.

The largish, incomplete rambling structure was set in a small wooded valley about ten miles from the Godric's Hollow house of their best friends, with the stream that fed the lake next to the Godric's house running through Luna's future back yard. Luna had especially picked out the site, as there was little chance of anyone disturbing them-that and there was really no one to tell her that she needed to conform to normal ideas of behavior.

Hermione was due to help her install the transfer portals between the houses this weekend.

"Um, you do know that-"

"You're asking if you can marry Harriet," Luna interrupted, and reached forward, pulling him into a hug. "You already are, more or less, you know that as well as I do, even though you both need to still learn each other better....but that will come. It took me nearly ten years to train Ronald out of most of his bad habits," she murmured, almost too low for him to hear even with his enhancements. She took a step back letting go, and sighed, "Though I will ask that you wait until you graduate to actually get...officially married, I know it's a hardship but the reporters are such a bother...That and there won't really be a proper alignment of the stars until then."

"Um, sure," Sirius replied, gobsmacked, as she laughed and spun from him and started to skip down the hallway.

"Come on, Sirius," Luna called behind her, "It's time for dinner. You wouldn't want to pass out from hunger, it would worry Harriet so...Though that might give her a chance to nurse you back to health..."

He just nodded at her back as she vanished around a corner whistling a jaunty tune from a twenty-year-old Muggle rock song.

**************************Black Manor***********************************

"We have to do this soon," Ginny whispered harshly and tightened a thick blanket around her shoulders, only lessening the shivers coursing through her on a cool early May evening. Draco looked over at her, and flicked his wand at the hearth set in one corner of his home office, bringing a low fire to life. "If we are going to..." She shivered again and coughed loudly.

Draco sighed and stood from behind his desk, a large black onyx one inset with silver dragons inlaid at the corners that he had added to his father's old desk when he had reclaimed the house. He crossed to the small matching couch that his wife was huddled on and knelt on the thick woven rug, one probably older than their parents, in front of her. Reaching up, he stroked her cheek, noting the clamminess of her skin, "You're right, Red, we need to get you well."

"I don't care about me..."

"There is a way, though we may have to expand...just to be safe."

"I won't kill the kids, Draco, I will put my own wand to my head first. They may come after us, probably will, eventually, but I won't do that. Harry, Hermione, at least they have a chance..."

"I think...that we will have to kill Ron and Luna too, Ginny." Draco frowned as a silent tear crawled down one of Ginny's cheeks, and she just nodded, accepting even as she started to shake further despite the sudden warmth filling the room from the fire. "Luna is too...dangerous to leave alive, we can't possibly hide from her forever, and Ron..."

"We are only postponing the inevitable, you know, Draco."

"Not if we do it correctly, I learned more than they think from my father, more than they ever hung on him."

"So how..."

"The twenty third is Anna's birthday," Draco replied quietly, not mentioning, nor needing to to remind either of them of the other events of that day, "Anna and the rest of the kids should be occupied at Hogwarts, Nate asked me about picking up a gift for her in Diagon Alley, he said they were planning a party for her. As head of House Black, Harry, technically needs to be consulted on the wedding preparations, especially since Nate and Anna's wedding is in July. We'll invite him and Hermione over for dinner, have Luna and Ron along...I've done some reading up, we should be too close to Luna to allow her to see our plans in time to save them...and then a day or two later, the Potters and Weasleys will be found dead of unknown causes, just like the three Wizengamot judges that Lucius killed in seventy nine, who were going to vote to convict him."

Ginny nodded, "I will have to do the preparations, you need to be at Hogwarts, we have already moved enough Galleons out of the country, here and there, to hold us for a while." She buried her face in her hands, as soft sobs started to wrack her small body, "This is all my fault, Draky...If I hadn't tried to steal Harry, and then had to run, Snape never would have..."

"And I would have never been with you," he whispered against her hair as he slipped onto the couch next to her and pulled her into his lap, "And you would have never given me such wonderful children. If nothing else we have to stay strong to give them parents...even ones that they may never see again."

A/N: There we go, another one down.

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41. Chapter 40: Another Pinprick

A/N: Here we go again, and another gets taken from the field. Thanks as usual to Lady Starlight for her outstanding work over...well a good long while. As usual I own nothing really/

Chapter 40: One More Pinprick
************************Ministry of Magic*******************************

May 10, 2016
11:25 pm

The trash-strewn alley outside of the Ministry of Magic's visitor entrance was as decrepit as ever, if not more so. The now positively obsolete phone box was a study in flaked paint, with every one of the glass panes cracked or missing. A maleficent stench filled the dim alley with a cloying order, which caused even the huge Thestral pawing at the cracked pavement to neigh bitterly.

It looked over at the disguised lift as it started to rattle and a tall wizard with a long, crooked nose and twinkling ice-blue eyes stepped into the alley adroitly. He paused as the door opened and he stepped out into the night, yawning slightly as he stepped to the spectral horse and lifted a long-fingered hand to stroke its nose. "Hello, my old friend," Albus Dumbledore said with a faint smile, "Are you ready for a flight? It is a truly wonderful night for flying."

The Thestral knickered and he laughed, and placed his hands on the main of the horse, started to swing upward with the ease of a twenty-year-old...And the world vanished in a flare of white, and a rush of sound.

*****************************Godric's Hollow*****************************

Harry watched as Hermione ran lightly on a treadmill, and took a sip from a bottle of water set in the console. She set it back down, and flicked a finger at the controls, causing the machine to speed up and her to speed up slightly into a long lope.

"So," she said glancing over at him as he floated in a lotus a good six inches above the mats covering the floor of the workout chamber in the cavern below the house. A brief flicker of appreciation crossed chocolate eyes as she let them pan down his bare torso, before she looked back up to his grinning face, "Did you read that invitation from Draco and Ginny we got today?"

"Yeah," he replied as he tapped his fingers on the flat of the Gryffindor Sword, which was resting across his lap, before he picked up a soft cloth from the floor next to him and started to polish it habitually. He looked down at his work-not that the sword, for which Cleaning Charms were the least of its intrinsic magic, needed it-and then back to her with a shrug. "Though I don't quite understand why we need to have a formal meeting about that. It's not like I would even think of keeping Nate from marrying Anna...After all I put with you..."

"Har har," Hermione said as she slowed to a stop, and let the treadmill drop her off the end. She stalked over to him, and dropped to the mat next to him, flopping backwards and rolling onto her side to face him. "No, but you are Head of House Black, Harry, and I'm sure that Draco or Ginny or both are wanting to make sure...They haven't shed everything from how they were raised."

"I suppose, Ron and Luna are to be there too?"

"Yeah, maybe Ginny is wanting to make a dinner party out of it, she always did like the whole noble family bit." Hermione rolled on her back and stretched, arching up off the mat and holding the pose. She laughed and collapsed back down as Harry reached over and tickled her bared belly, "Honestly, Harry...no fair."

He vanished the sword, and let himself float down to the mat before he rolled over to hang over her on hands and knees. Leaning down, he nuzzled her nose, before trailing his lips down behind one ear, tracing her pulse with the very tip of his tongue as she started to squirm.

Umm...she moaned, that's nice... Glancing down with half-lidded eyes that had started to glow, emerald flickers starting to fill from the outside in, as she felt the hem of her t-shirt being pulled free of the waistband of her workout pants. She sighed as his palm rested on her belly; You know that's kinda how we go to this juncture...

Yeah, he laughed as his hand slowly dropped down and she felt a faint tug as the knot holding her drawstring closed came undone, and the already loose pants slipped precariously lower. He started to draw idle, meaningless designs on her stomach, tracing the lower curve of her abs. You know, it's been a while since we've...used...this room.

Honestly, Harry, it was last Tuesday, Hermione snorted as she reached up to twist her fingers into his still-sweaty hair. I...

They rolled apart in the next second as a soft POP sounded from near the front of the room. A shimmering blue dome blossomed over the both of them as both of their eyes lit fully and a ball of full force materialized in Hermione's hand. She readsorbed it, and Harry dropped the shield in he next instant as they found Tonks standing before them, looking pale and drawn, with her hair hanging lankly down her back. "We need you...now, at the Ministry...it's Albus."

Tonks vanished without another word, and the Potters only wasted a single instant before they both vanished in dual blurs, racing for their kits.

*************************Ministry of Magic********************************

May 11, 2016
12:45 am

The faintly visible, at least to wizards of the Potter's power levels, line of a misdirection ward lit the sky to the left, as Harry slowly walked past a pair of response team members, silver-loaded subguns cradled in their arms, wands strapped to their thighs and the dull gleam of heavy dragonhide armor covering chests and various vital areas.

Hermione glanced over at him, from where she was kneeling next to a mass of seared meat, bone and gore. A large hole was shattered in the wall behind the tattered wreckage of the dumpster, and the few remaining shards of rusted steel were folded outwards. Anything down that way? Hermione asked and Harry just shook her head. Wendel said that it looks like, from the traces, that someone planted one of the Twins' big bangs in the dumpster, hid it under a rather strong dampening field, and set it off with a spell from remote.

Not a Muggle device, then?

No, not enough flash damage...that and we found a bit of focusing crystal a few dozen yards away. She stood somewhat shakily, and did not, quite, let herself be held up by him. I know now how Albus has accomplished so much...he's the luckiest wizard on the face of the Earth...the Thestral took almost all of the direct blast damage and concussion...and held together long enough to catch most of the shrapnel too.

I sent Remus and Tonks to watch over him at St. Mungo's, Harry muttered as he watched one of Wendell's techs pouring over something near the ruins of the call box.

A quiet urgency filled their actions, present more and more since the attempted assassination against Arthur and the disastrous consequences of that day. The entire staff of the Forensic department, that was in country at least, was swarming over the alley, even if Harry privately thought it was a waste of sleep for the ones that had been off duty. From experience, there was little that they would find.

An hour later, reluctantly playing on their fame as much as their badges, Harry and Hermione stood on the other side of a transparent wall, watching as a softly glowing orb pulsed slowly, almost reluctantly over the head of a comatose Albus Dumbledore. The neatly trimmed bead he had effected had been shaved away, to allow for the bandage covering half of his face, while more bandages were visible peaking out from under the starkly white hospital linens, whose shade only served to accentuate his near utter lack of color.

Harry took a long drink from a chipped coffee mug, his hand mostly steady, and closed his eyes. Shit.

Yeah, Hermione replied pithily and let her head fall to his shoulder. She snuggled closer to his side, and watched a healer slip in to check Dumbledore's vitals as they wrote themselves onto a clipboard at the foot of the bed. He noted something with a eagle feather quill and left with a nod towards the observation room. There was really nothing that anyone found to say if it were a hit attempt on him, or just a random thing...hell, if it were when we were growing up, they might have said it was the IRA and waved it off. They hired a few rogue elements to plant stuff in defended zones...

So, it's Filius at Hogwarts until Albus wakes up?

I guess, though when Minerva hears about this, they'll probably have to call one of us in to keep her from the school.

Harry turned his head to look at her, he let his eyes flick down her body and back up, before he looked back to the recovery room, We need to end this soon...real soon...we can't afford for this to draw out much longer.

Hermione looked, just for an instant, as if she were wanting to argue with him over some point before she sighed heavily. At least I can hold down the fort, I suppose, while you and Tonks and Remus go hunting. She stopped to nibble on the corner of her lower lip; Do you want to stay here, Harry?

No...I mean I do, but...

She nodded and squeezed his hand before the pair of them vanished without a sound, leaving behind the guards just outside the door to watch over the phoenix wizard for the night.

**************************Durmstrang********************************

"The old fool still lives?" a dark, slightly hissing voice snarled as he strode quickly down an outer hallway overlooking a large courtyard were at least thirty Death Eaters were practicing spells, though in truth, they were only practicing on unmoving targets. Several of his followers paced behind him, along with a small, brunette girl barely out of her teens, who watched him with something approaching adoration.

Bellatrix cuffed the girl behind the ear, "Incompetents couldn't even get it right. I should remind them of their failures. Let me, M'Lord, they will learn the price of..."

"No, Mother," he replied softly as he came to a halt to watch as more Death Eaters practiced dark spells in the courtyard, "they did their jobs well enough. The old fool is out of the game and with the Potters distracted by this and that...by the time he regains enough of his strength to challenge me, it will be too late, far too late for them."

****************************Hogwarts*********************************

7:30 am

The news that Albus Dumbledore was...indisposed had yet to be officially disseminated to the mass of students filling the Great Hall chattering amongst themselves. So of course, every single soul had known approximately ten minutes after they had woken up. Every few seconds, one or more of the students would look up furtively towards Dumbledore's empty golden throne, and then away.

Not so, of course for every student. Emilia, Sirius and the rest had learned that night, just in case, even though the castle defenses should have served to defend them. Instead, the extended Potter clan and allies sat quietly, eating their breakfasts, and if their schoolbags might emit a soft clank when they were picked up-it would not be the first time.

Instead, Emilia sat reading her transfiguration text, as Neville and Flitwick consulted on something near the front, even as Ron and Luna were sitting together with Luna slowly picking at Ron's plate as she read the Quibbler's daily. Emilia stood and bent back down to kiss the top of Xander's head, "See you in class, Love, I'm going to go to the loo." She grabbed her bag from under the table and slung it up onto her shoulder.

She held his gaze for a beat longer before Xander nodded as Harriet and Rain joined her and the trio slipped out of the main doors, heading upwards towards the Transfiguration classrooms.

"I don't suppose that we are going to touch up our makeup?" Rain asked wryly as she followed along behind Emilia. They stepped around a pack of second years late for breakfast, and Rain turned to watch them go without breaking stride with the other two.

"I rather need to pee," Harriet put in helpfully.

Emilia and Rain rolled their eyes as one, and they followed the redhead into the second floor bathroom. They waited as she vanished into a stall and reappeared a minute later, looking relieved. "Do you think we'll get hit here?" Rain asked and Emilia shrugged helplessly.

"I'd guess that Dumbledore was just a target of opportunity." Emilia watched as Harriet went to the sinks and looked closely into her own eyes in the mirrors hanging over them. Distantly a faint hissing sound reached her ear, I hate this loo. "He would have been fine if he had just Apparated or Floo'ed back."

"Are my eyes grey or more of a heather color?" Harriet asked without looking back towards them. She shrugged, "If they do, they do." Looking up towards a far corner of the bathroom, one empty to every eye, "No, Myrtle. I'm not going to share Sirius...No, you can't watch him in the shower."

Rain snorted, and pushed off from the wall she had been leaning against, "Let's go. You can get in a duel with Myrtle over Sirius later." Both Harriet and a newly appeared Myrtle appeared to pout as Rain dropped her arm around the redhead's shoulders and led her over to where Emilia was leaning next to a ornate sink.

{Open} Emilia whispered and a faint grinding sound filled the air as the sink sank out of sight, leaving a round opening in the floor. {Stairs} she added, and clean, marble treads appeared spiraling down into darkness. The opening vanished above them, leaving them in darkness before a soft, white light appeared floating at Emilia's shoulder.

"No," Emilia said, answering Rain's earlier question, "Virginia let me know earlier that the twins arranged to have Dobby drop off the newest gear. "She said that Uncle Fred managed to get the overheating problem more under control, so he sent the new suits for us to replace the ones he called back last month, so we have those back to play with."

"So did we get them all?" Harriet asked interestedly, her eyes sharpening again as she brought herself into focus, using the nearness of her 'sisters' and the constant flicker of being that connected her constantly to Sirius to ground herself.

Emilia shook her head and sighed, "No, after they had to reinscribe the runes on them, and then after having to rebalance my and Sirius' they were behind, plus they got that order for the Americans...and since ours aren't the mass produced ones..."

"How many did we get back?"

Em glanced over at Rain and muttered to the round door. Twin snakes slowly unwound and a heavy door ground open, letting them into a large chamber. These days, the Chamber of Secrets was much changed from the dark, red-lit cavern that Emilia's father had fought for his life in, and that was the entrance for the desperate assault to retake this castle so many years ago.

Emilia moved past tall, carved pillars down a path of perfectly dry flagstones, to a large table set with several boxes. A large empty space was off to her front where the statue of Slytherin once stood forebodingly over the chamber. Their steps echoed in the vast chamber as they closed on and then stopped before the table and Emilia pulled open a large duffle bag with her name on it, pulling out a baggy shadow suit. She nodded and refolded the light-adsorbing garment and slipped it into her school bag. "Looks like just mine, the pair of yours, Sirius'..." she tossed a bag back at Harriet, who caught it lightly, "Xander's...and Virginia's personal one. I guess the rest aren't back from being refurbished."

"Brilliant," Rain sighed, "I guess it's good that we have these, though I doubt well need them for other than jokes." Rain packed away her own into her bottomless pack and flicked her wand, vanishing the rest of the pile. "We should get to class. I don't want detention with Da...Professor Black again."

"But that was soo worth it last month when you turned Naomi's hair into snakes...it suited her."

*****************************London******************************

Harry slipped alone along a London street, his eyes slowly scanning from side to side under the brim of a battered leather hat. A dark leather duster flapped around his body, additional armor that Hermione had made him grab as he left this morning, many hours ago.

Catching sight of his reflection in a dirty plate glass window, he shook his head slightly and made a note to visit Chicago next time he and Hermione were in the States to catch up with an old friend before he shrugged deeper into the coat and continued on.

A long, drawn-out whistle came from up ahead and to the right, and his eyes tracked over to find a working girl negotiating with a client. He passed them at just past arm's reach, the hand in his right pocket tingling with arcane energies that he vanished as they receded in the distance. No sound of his steps carried off the buildings, as he moved eerily quietly to a dark, boarded up shop door and through it without breaking stride.

Thick, grey dust covered the interior of the shop, coating shelves half filled with bric-a-brac, old display cases whose glass was cloudy with age and the floor. A single set of tracks led through the dust towards the back of the store and he followed them, stepping around an old counter and through a moldy curtain that caused a quiet sneeze.

"Merlin bless you," a voice roughened with age growled and Harry looked over at a small workbench set against the back wall of the shop and lit with only a single flickering candle. The soft, reddish-yellow glow of the candle pushed back the darkness, stopping just shy of Harry, and though it lit his glasses up, two glowing discs hanging in midair.

"You had information?" Harry asked of the old man, who nodded and coughed once.

"You know, Mr. Potter," he began quietly, "I do remember every wand that I have ever sold," Ollivander said waiting until Harry gave him a quick nod. "These days, I am mostly retired, my grandchildren run the shop in Diagon Alley most days and I putter about, here and there. I still make a few wands, such as the ones I made for your own children, but I let the youngsters handle the ones for shall we say...the magic users that will be less likely to seriously push their wand's capabilities."

Harry crooked an eyebrow as Ollivander stood from the table and hobbled over to a teapot sitting on a table across the room. The ancient wandmaker flicked a wand at it, and steam erupted before he poured into a china cup set next to it. "Tea?"

Harry shook his head.

"Very well," Ollivander hobbled back over, and sat down at the worktable, and took a sip. His voice smoothed slightly as the tea took hold. "As I was saying, I remember every wand that I have ever sold, but not, I am afraid, every wand that I have ever stocked. Can't be helped, I suppose, as there are still probably a hundred thousand or so still in the shop in Diagon Alley and we have more in storage."

"Not to appear impatient..."

"Very well young man, though it seemed apropos to the story...In my shop, there are many wands that I have made that I am sure will remain unsold long after I have passed on. Likewise there are wands in the inventory that were made long, long ago, a few by my great-great-grandfather, and a few that are possibly even older than that." Harry's attention focused as the old wand maker went on.

"This last summer, when those ruffians attacked Diagon Alley, and stole several wands, they seemed to just take at random, mostly old stock that we had out on display, looking to sell to collectors and the like...and occasionally if we put the wands out front they call to a child looking for their first wand. I did not know that one of the wands that they took was...special."

"I thought that the Elder Wand had been accounted for?"

"It had, and even if it hadn't, I doubt that anyone would have gotten much use from it...That wand is powerful, yes, but it is the Wizard...or Witch that wields it that holds true power...not a wand. A wand, most times, is merely a conduit...However, occasionally, there are wands made for a specific purpose, that have only that purpose. And it seems that one of those was taken, though for what possible reason I can not envision."

Harry fought the urge to sigh, or to vaporize large city blocks in frustration. "And that would be?"

"About a hundred and fifty years ago, my Grandfather was approached by a woman named Elektra Pyre...in most ways she was an unimportant witch, she specialized in recovery of antiquities, much like Gringotts' recovery teams, or some of the Unspeakables more...pleasant operations. She commissioned him to build a wand, that would serve to channel certain energies, similar to those controlled by a Time Turner, though at that time the theory behind that particular device was still being debated."

"So the Death Eaters have a wand that acts as a Time Turner?"

"No," Ollivander corrected him quickly, "not quite, even if they really do, as there were many wands destroyed in the fire afterwards, and with that many wands burning at once, determining if a particular one was there is problematic. No, as you know a Time Turner's maximum is perhaps a year, even for the experimental ones in the Ministry, let alone the small ones that you're more familiar with that only work for perhaps a week at a time. But if they do, they will find that they have a problem..."

Harry only looked at him.

"The wand was mostly a failure. It could only serve to stabilize a temporal rift; it could not initiate one itself. It was made to specific instructions for the client, even though my Grandfather said it would not work as she had wanted, but she insisted and he produced it, even though it would not work. If you had something else to open the temporal rift it would work, and to lock it to a specific timeframe, I suppose, but a Time Turner would be more suitable. And even then the power to open a rift is enormous. That is the reason there are so few Time Turners in existence, after you and your wife destroyed so many of them, it has taken years for the Ministry to recreate the few that are in existence."

"If it is so useless, then why are you telling me about it, and why only now?"

"Because, we just now finished with the inventory, as several of the wands refused to be counted, and that perhaps, it will give you a clue as to their goals." Ollivander shrugged, "I suppose that if they had the Dagger of Time, they could use it for something, but as that particular artifact was destroyed by the founder of your line, I don't see how they would be able to use it. And even then there are certain tomes that also have been lost that would be necessary for it's use, wherever they might be, along with certain other...darker materials."

"Could they use it to bring back..."

"No," Ollivander shook his head, "you might want to ask Albus after he wakes, but I can not see a way they could use it to pass him through time, forward...and his death was a...focus point...I doubt that the universe would let him be saved from his death by manipulation. At least in this universe, though Temporal Mechanics is only a hobby of mine, not a profession. There should not be a way to let matter through. Even the Muggles have recognized that you can not jump forward through time readily."

"Thank you," Harry said pensively. Get that? he asked and got a mental nod in reply. "We'll think about it."

Harry took a step backwards and faded away, vanishing even as Ollivander finished his tea and returned to the intricately carved wand he had been working on here in his hobby shop, a gift to his great-great-great granddaughter who would be starting Hogwarts in September.

A/N: Hmmmm...............The clock is ticking. Next Chapter a conversation with Luna and other assorted things.

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42. Chapter 41: Peering into Shadows

A/N: Ok, ok, I know it's been a while. But I haven't even been in my house for the last month more than a day or two in a row, so there's that. As usual, thanks go out to Lady Starlight for her work on this chapter. Yeah, it's a bit short too, but the hammer is starting to fall.
Chapter 41: Peering into the Shadows.

May 17, 2016

Hermione frowned as she adjusted the fit of her cloak and stepped out into the cool night surrounding Godric's Hollow. The soft cry of night birds, Hedwig among them, greeted her ears, along with the howl of an unseen wolf. A brief thought crossed her mind of taking transport as she looked towards the closed garage door before she pulled her cloak around her.

She took a single stride into nothingness and vanished, reappearing in a grassy wooded glen boarding a silver brook on one side of the clearing. Hermione slowly walked across the clearing, the ankle-high, soft grass making quiet sounds against her ankles as she approached closer to the sole other presence in the night. The very fabric of time and space seemed to shiver and move, wavering between strides, as Hermione closed in on the single occupant of the forest glade.

Almost as if the nearly full moon high above were a cosmic spotlight, a silvery glow lit an ethereal vision, sitting on a colorful blanket in the center of the clearing. Long hair glowed in the moonlight, and hung loose over a nude body nearly to her waist. As Hermione walked in front of her, she found the other woman's eyes closed and a serene expression filling her face.

Hermione let her cloak fall to the grass behind her and dropped into a lotus in front of her, facing her sister as Luna let herself search the ether. Nearly visible, at least to one of her power, tendrils of magic and time slipped past her off into nothingness. Hermione sighed very quietly and let her own eyes fall closed as she settled in to wait.

A small doe slipped along the edge of the wood, accompanied by a yearling, and several small animals crept up to them before scampering away. Almost an hour later, Hermione's eyes opened and waited a moment before Luna blinked back to reality. Soft, grey eyes glowed for a moment longer before they slowly gained focus and became lit only by the moonlight. Luna took a deep breath and staggered, falling forward into Hermione's arms, which cradled her for a second before slowly lowering the blonde so that her head rested in Hermione's lap.

Hermione gestured in the air, and a water bottle appeared, and she lowered the spout to Luna's lips, holding it there as Luna took a few long sips from the fortified liquid within. Brushing her fingers through Luna's hair, Hermione pulled at a few waves, as she waited for Luna to speak.

"I couldn't get anything, Hermione," Luna whispered and snuggled closer to her. Hermione continued to stroke her hair without speaking, "I tried, but it's too close."

"It's alright, love," Hermione muttered, "we'll deal with it, like we always have."

Luna swallowed and looked up at Hermione, her eyes glistening in the moonlight, "I failed you before...I don't want to again."

"When?" Hermione asked, genuinely confused.

"Eighteen years ago," Luna muttered, "I should have known what was going to happen, that they were going to strike while we were gone...It cost..."

Hermione shook her head silently as she curled downward to kiss Luna's forehead, "You aren't God nor Merlin; you can't see everything."

Luna sat up, bringing her knees up to her chest as she wrapped her arms around them. Hermione draped her cloak around Luna's shoulders, unnoticed by the blonde, "We have more to lose this time, sis," Luna said almost reasonably after a moment's reflection.

"We do," Hermione agreed as Luna stood quickly and reached down, pulling Hermione to her feet easily. Hermione bemusedly let herself be led to the edge of the clearing with Luna's hand pulling her along until they reached the stream. A small, wooden bridge appeared with a sparkle of light and Luna grinned back at her as they walked over it, crossing through a thin line of trees into an expansive back yard of a moderately large two-and-a-half story house, that spread across the front of the clearing.

Multi-colored fairy lights on white poles lit a white-washed deck, Luna let go of her hand as she climbed a set of stairs and walked across it, to gather a thin, white-silk robe from a deck chair and wrap it around her. "At least they managed to get the house done," Luna commented as she collapsed into a chair. "And it's only a minute's broom ride from the Hollow."

"Five, ten...thousand miles," Hermione shrugged, "Nothing really. Are you ok?"

Luna nodded briskly, "A bit of fluids...Shag Ronnie a couple of times and I'll be back to normal." She shrugged and squirmed deeper into the Cushioning Charms on the chair. She smiled suddenly as a slow, happy expression filled her face, "You know that Sirius asked me if he could marry Harriet?"

Hermione closed her eyes and sighed. "That's two of them, then..."

"You are having another girl, Hermione."

Hermione smiled and nodded without opening her eyes, "Don't tell Harry or Ron, I haven't told him yet..."

"I hope he was there to try..."

Hermione reached over from the chair next to Luna's and pushed on her shoulder, "Watch it, or I'll let Ron know that you are having twins."

"Oh, please no, it'll take me days to calm him down, and he's just no good riled up. He gets all rushed, and really loses all rhythm-"

"I didn't need to know that."

"I know."

Luna sat up and leaned forward, "I can see everything else, or everythings, Hermione. I can tell you that tomorrow Dobby is going to spill a kilo of sugar and try to iron his hands, and only stop himself cause Harry said he couldn't. I can see that my daughter will get detention Thursday, cause she and Sirius will get caught snogging in the Library-"

"That is a nice table," Hermione mused.

"Isn't it?" Luna agreed. "I can even tell you that Minerva is currently sitting next to Albus' bedside crying, but I can not tell you what is coming for us. And something is..." She licked her lips before taking another drink from the water bottle that had followed them here. "Do you want to go shopping Saturday, I need to find something to wear to Draco and Ginny's dinner party."

"You can borrow something," Hermione waved towards her own house, a few miles away, practically next-door by Wizarding standards.

"I know, but I want something to show off my legs...before I have to use a mirror to see them," Luna sighed, and looked back towards her house, "Do you think I can borrow Dobby this weekend, I would like his help decorating the nursery, Ron is such pants at painting."

"I'm sure he would be glad to help." Hermione leaned back in her chair, "So do you know what Ginny wants to talk to us about?"

"No, I could try to look again?"

Hermione looked as if she were considering it, "No, you don't need to do that again for a while...promise me, Luna?" Luna nodded. "I'm sure it's nothing, and at least Ginny inherited Molly's cooking talents."

********************The Feisty Goat, Oxfordshire, England*******************

May 18, 2016
8:35 pm

Ron took a long pull on a beer, and slammed the brown glass bottle down on the table as he leaned forward towards Harry. "I don't know, Harry," he said loudly over the conversations in the bar, even though the various spells in the around the table would have allowed the others to hear him and the bar was not really crowded in the middle of the week. "Luna is up to something, Harry."

"They are always up to something, mate," Seamus put in from his place between Harry and Ron. He took a drink and looked back over his shoulder almost guiltily, at Padma as she talked with a few of his regular female customers, a pair of witches working on their graduate degrees at nearby Stonehenge.

"You three are going to get me in trouble," Neville sighed. "You know Padma will talk to her sister. And then I will be on the couch again....and that couch really sucks."

"You do own a house, Neville," Seamus said with a shrug, "I've been there, you don't have to sleep on the one in your quarters."

"Only because Pad kicked you out and made you sleep there when you forgot her birthday...by going to a Harpies game," Neville shot back.

"Well, it was a playoff game," Seamus reasoned. He looked up and back as Padma walked up behind him and kissed the top of his head.

She brushed a night-black lock back behind one ear, "Behave, dear." The rest of the men at the table chuckled knowingly as they watched Seamus nod silently, even as she sauntered back through the tables to the bar, several people moving out of her way without knowing why, even though she looked like for the all the world, except those in the know, like a just another grad student working a night job.

Harry took a sip of beer, sighing quietly as he glanced at his watch and then back at the rest, "I don't know, Ron. She is a bloody seer; she probably saw something. Hell if I know. I do know that her and Mione were over at your new house until late last night. And Hermione did look rather smug about something when she got back."

"I thought there was no secrets between you two?" Neville asked, leaning forward with his elbows on the small, round table set in a dim corner.

"Yes...and no," Harry took another sip of his beer. He frowned, even though everyone here had known him almost his entire life and almost every bit of it that was worth actually remembering, "There are no secrets that we will or even can keep from each other permanently. But we do have corners of our minds where the other doesn't normally go. Where we hide little things that we don't want the other to know...Christmas presents, the fact that I burnt her favorite shoes with a magical discharge...the usual really."

Harry grinned around the neck of the bottle as he took a drink, "Ronnie's just a mite concerned that Luna might use him to test if Finnish Grenpops are really produced by too much caloric intake."

"That's American Slingcraws, actually, mate," Ron retorted without a pause as he munched on a plate of chips set in the center of he table.

"Better you than me, mate," Seamus laughed, "at least Padma usually just talks over my head, she doesn't make up shit..."

"I'm not really sure she does," Ron shrugged, "don't care really, she's happy, so I am..."

"Damn, you can learn," Neville laughed, and sighed suddenly as a soft chime came from his pocket. He flipped open his pocket mirror and talked softly into it. A frown, and he stood, flipping it closed as he dropped it into a pocket of his jeans. "I need to go, slight discipline problem with one of...mine."

Harry closed his eyes and shook his head; "Mine?"

"Maybe, seems someone transfigured the door to the Slytherin common room into a large cat's mouth. The tongue seems to lick every Slytherin to death as they try to get into their dungeon."

Neville finished his beer and headed towards the WC with a shrug and a wave, and a beat later, a quiet POP carried to the table.

Harry stood as well, "I suppose that's a night then, see you lot next week?"

"Sure, Harry," Seamus replied as Harry put his arm around Ron's shoulders and started to guide the slightly inebriated redhead towards the bathrooms. "You got him?"

"Yeah, I'm good to pop," Harry said under his breath and shook his head as Ron started to sing lowly. He waved again as he took Ron to the back and vanished away to drop Ron at Hogwarts, before tracking down Hermione.

******************************Hogwarts**********************************

Only if someone just happened to look just right into the deepest shadows in the dungeons, would the faintest trace of emerald be visible to an observer. A quiet cat snort did not carry to the half dozen wizards that were trying, and failing, to reverse the effects of one of the newest Weasleys' Wheezes products, the Perplexing Portal.

Sirius clamped cat jaws shut to keep from laughter, as he shook a furred head and padded off, staying in the shadows, a second night-black cat followed at his side, and then another at his other side. The three of them emerged from the deep shadows at the staircase up and the pair of black lions and a panther shimmered and transformed in mid-stride and headed for the stairs upward and out of the dungeons.

"So what did George owe us for this?" Rain asked as she started to jog up the stairs. Her trainers made as little sound as her paws did on the flagstones, as they started to jog down the third floor hallway.

"Fifty galleons for product testing...he wanted to make sure that Flitwick and Neville couldn't break the enchantment. He thinks if they can't, then the general public can't," Sirius explained, "That and he promised to get us a shipment of the Immobilization Spheres from the black part of the company. They haven't even gone out to Mum and Dad yet."

"I'd rather have had all our suits," Emilia griped, "but maybe we can find a use for them. Work them into something, Rain." A nod, and the trio froze as they heard footsteps slowly approaching from in front of them. Less than a breath passed before all three vanished into the darkness behind several of the untold number of armored suits guarding the castle.

Three pairs of cat-slitted eyes, two green and one blue, watched from near the floor, the faint flickering light of torches, catching the back of retinas as Maraisah walked past them, moving quickly towards where the Professors were still trying to un...mouth the entrance to Slytherin dorms.

They waited until she had moved out of sight and earshot before they emerged, tails twitching idly as ears swiveled on their own, before the girls transformed together. Sirius waited a moment longer as Emilia worked at fixing her jumper before SHIFTING to stand at her shoulder, "I wonder why she was coming from the shortcut to Ravenclaw?"

"Probably giving someone an incurable disease," Rain spat lowly, "it doesn't really matter; she will get detention for being out this late."

"I'm the one who's supposed to hate her," Sirius smiled faintly as they followed Emilia into a secret passage behind a rather incomprehensible sculpture that was supposedly the result of the eighth Headmaster's passion for eclectic art. "Why is it that you two are so hateful of her?" he asked, grinning at the pair as they scowled in unison.

"Cause she's a slag, whore, slut, who needs to have her head cut off," Emilia growled, and started to climb a tight set of spiral stairs, that creaked and groaned noisily with every step. She looked back down at her brother, walking between her and Rain. She smiled faintly, "So, brother, when are you going to ask her?"

He flushed as Rain sniggered behind him. "Ask her what?"

"Um," Rain laughed, "To shack up with you, to put up with your snoring every night...to eventually make cute little babies with bad hair."

"OI," both Potters snapped, and Rain laughed again.

"I'm thinking about it, alright, leave me the heck alone." Sirius pushed past Emilia and transformed in mid-stride. The black lion rapidly outdistanced the girls, vanishing into the darkness.

"He's scared enough, Rain," Emilia sighed, "and you know Harriet is still a bit...off."

"I'm sorry, it's just that--"

"He will, he already has, he's in that scared place right now they get where he's convincing himself they will be rejected out of hand, even though they share damn near every emotion and thought."

A/N: Ok, there you go, I hope that will hold ya'll for at least a little bit.

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43. Chapter 42 Catch a Tiger by the Tail

Yep, I know it's been a while....but it's been hell... Someone dies...You've been warned. As usual, thanks to Lady Starlight for her work on this chapter.

Chapter 42: Catch a Tiger by the Tail
******************************Room of Requirement************************

May 23, 2016
5:45 pm

It was only though endless guile, skill and persistence-along with more than a bit of learned experience-that Sirius was able to secure the Room of Requirement from all comers so he could review for his imminently upcoming OWLs. Even though, not that he would ever admit to himself, he could have probably taken them the year before.

A dozen books were scattered across a pair of conjured tables and were, in turn, at least half covered by stacks of parchments, notebooks and a few recording crystals. He yawned loudly, and shook his head firmly as his eyelids started to droop, he had been up almost the entire night before.

Natasha hooted from a perch next to a window that could not exist, as the room was deep within the castle, and he looked over, letting out a quiet whistle. A flurry of wings dropped the grey owl onto the table in front of him, and he brushed his hands over the owl's head feathers. She blinked large eyes back at him, as if asking him, Are you alright, Sirius?

He smiled and kissed the top of her head, "I'm fine, girl. Why don't you go get something to eat; I'll be fine here."

Natasha looked at him rather dubiously-at least as much so as an owl with rather limited facial expressions could-before she hooted once and took flight, swooping out an illusory window that opened and closed as she passed.

Sirius watched the window closed before he returned to his studies, dragging out the sheaf of notes that he had taken in the fairer Professor Weasley's class since her assumption of the Transfiguration Professorship. Sitting back, he rubbed his eyes and before starting to study once more, delving into the intricacies of golem mobilization.

At times, it seemed that only he was worried about studies, at least when he had left Gryffindor tower earlier after escaping class for the day. Emilia was closeted, somewhere, with Xander celebrating her birthday, even though there was supposed to be a surprise party later this evening for her. Likewise, the rest of his year mates had 'given up' on their studies, as the exams were a whole week away after all. Yawning again, he slowly started to read, his eyes drooping as he let them fall over the dry text of the textbook, written in prose that had been rather dated in Shakespeare's time.

Out in the hallway, Harriet appeared from behind a long, dusty tapestry and paced down the same hall that generations of Hogwarts students, at least those in the know, had used to approach the infamous Come and Go Room. Trainers making quiet scuffing sounds on the flagstones as she skipped down the seventh floor hallway, she bounced to a halt opposite the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy, who as was often the case, hiding from a pair of rather surly-looking trolls in tutus.

A faint scowl fell over her lips as she found no door waiting her, and she started to pace, moving up and down the hallway with only one, slightly salacious, thought in her head. A quiet giggle escaped as a heavy oak door appeared, and a small pink tongue came out to run along barely open lips.

Pulling open the door, she stepped into a softly lit room, with a large, heatless fire roaring in one corner, a long couch facing it, and a pair of worktables filled with disordered study materials. A single chair was pulled up to one, facing away from the door, with a head of disheveled, black hair sticking up just over the back. Harriet bit off another giggle as she toed off her trainers, bright red ones with silver laces to match her eyes, before she padded over on bare feet, tiptoeing to slip up behind him.

She pouted faintly as he did not move as she crept up to his shoulder, even though she had wanted to surprise him. Her fingers ghosted along his shoulder, and beyond a faint mutter and a slight movement to her touch, he did not react. Stepping around his chair, grey eyes flicked heavenward as she found his eyes closed and his breathing slow and steady.

That just doesn't do, she mused, taking a step back and drawing her wand from the sheath riding her leg, as she pulled her uniform shirt free from her skirt with the other hand. Her tie fluttered to the floor as she pulled it free and unbuttoned the top three buttons of her blouse, He's not supposed to sleep without me...

A flick of her wand and Sirius slowly lifted into the air, the chair he was sitting in scooted back of its own accord, and he floated upright, following her as she stalked over to the couch and stretched out on it, lining the very edge of the couch. Another practiced wand movement, and he settled down between her and the back of the couch, muttering quietly in his sleep as she dropped her wand to the floor next to the couch and cuddled against him tightly, pressing him back against the back of the couch.

Her own eyes fell closed as she worked her leg between his, and took his hand in hers, pulling it between them until his fingers rested on a stomach bared by her movements. A warm sensation spread from the contact, filling her and she scooted up slightly, and pulled his head down to her chest. I guess this works, she sighed, I suppose that a nap before Em's party will work alright...I was hoping for a shag though...But this is a bit of alright too.

Sirius' half-slumbering thoughts turned to her, wrapping with hers warmly. She started to pick her fingers through his hair, brushing strands from side to side as she luxuriated in the warmth of his breath on her skin, and the safety the feeling induced by his closeness-setting aside, for the moment, the darkness that she could feel slowly enclosing them all with each breath. Fleeting bits of half-formed thoughts and dreams danced across his mind, behind the strong gates of his magic that only she had a key to. She smiled to herself as she watched a dream version of herself slumbering next to a fully awake Sirius, her hair spread over his lap as she napped under the beech next to the lake.

The image of the idyllic lake with her still asleep on his lap faded away slowly, to reveal her slowly walking towards him, her hair shimmering gold in the light of an unseen fire. Harriet's own pulse spiked as she felt his reaction to her, the image slowly panning down, following her as she walked across his vision to slowly fall to her knees on a white fur throw set on dark hardwood.

In an instant, she was herself in his mind, or rather more accurately, the part of her consciousness that was always with him joined with the rest of her and she was looking back up at him from her vantage point on the floor. Grey eyes went smoky and slowly brightened as a rush of magic filled her. Stretching out like her feline alter ego on all fours, she crawled fully onto the rug and slowly laid down, propping her head up on one elbow as she looked over at him.

Sirius swallowed heavily, his eyes falling down over her body, taking in the black, nearly non-existent knickers and bra that served more as decorations than any form of covering. He swallowed again as she licked her lips, catlike, and slowly fell to his knees next to her. A quiet purr escaped as she leaned into the hand that he brought up to cup her cheek.

"I love you, Harriet," he whispered, and she only nodded silently as his thumb stroked her cheek.

"I know," she smiled and rolled fully onto her side, and reached up to grab the tie of his uniform shirt that he was inexplicitly wearing, and pull him to her. A quiet shared sigh of breath passed between them before she flicked her tongue against his as she rolled onto her back, pulling him down on top of her.

Fingers flashed, removing his tie with practiced ease and pulling it off and to the side before she started to unbutton his shirt. Harriet rolled them over again, and sat up on his stomach, ignoring the hard bulge poking her nearly bare bum. She curled back down on herself, pressing her lips to each patch of revealed skin as she slowly undid each button in turn.

As she reached his stomach, Sirius stretched down and grabbed her hands, stopping her before she could proceed further. He reached down and grabbed her hips and lifted her off him, setting her back on her folded knees next to him.

Harriet's eyes dropped and grew more silvered as she swallowed heavily.

"It's not that, Harriet," he whispered as rose up on his knees next to her, reaching up with his left hand to pet through reddish gold strands, "I just want to ask you something before...we get too involved..."

A shaking hand flicked through a complicated motion at his side. A flare of light sparkled and vanished, leaving nothing. "Damn it," he groaned, "I practiced that..."

Harriet's eyes widened as she realized both, suddenly, though if it was glimpse of the future or her simply knowing him she neither knew nor cared. She leaned up and kissed him, "Yes, my love," she breathed against his lips. A flare of uncalled magic lit the room and faded to reveal a worked platinum band set on her left ring finger. A shimmering, infinitely faceted stone was cut so as to almost be part of the band, with a thousand shades dancing through it, pulling in on themselves infinitely in a contained fall of color.

"Thank you," he whispered back, his voice strained and tight as he fought to keep from crying in sheer relief.

Harriet nodded as she finished unbuttoning his shirt and pushed it from his shoulders to fall to the ground behind them. "I really need you, Sirius," she muttered "I mean," she let her fingers press against his stomach, vibrating slightly against his skin, "I really, really, do."

"Alright."

Smiling like a kid on Christmas, she reached back to untab her bra, shrugging out of it, before she leaned forward to kiss him again, pressing her skin to his. Magic grew visible, sparkling around them. Harriet gasped quietly as he lowered his lips to an already straining nipple and brushed it with the tip of his tongue.

"Oh Merlin," a choked gasp, "Again...please."

He obliged, slowly trailing his lips down her chest and down between her breasts. Her eyes fluttered closed as he slowly laid her back onto the fur, never breaking contact with her stomach. Fingers trailed down her flanks, tracing the lines of her ribs, before pausing on the thin strands riding her hipbones. He pulled back, admiring the contrast of her pale skin with the fabric, before starting to pull the garment from her hips. She arched up automatically, quivering slightly as his fingers trailed down to her feet, before he kissed his way back up her, mouth, laughing quietly as she pushed him over impatiently, and dropping her hands to the button of his trousers.

Small fingers made quick work of the fastener, and tugged on his trousers, taking them and his boxers along with them, down and off his legs.

A quiet moan followed as she wrapped her fingers along him, and started to pass her hand up and down, navigating purely by the sounds that he started to let slip. Impatiently, Sirius started to buck up into her hand, only to be stopped as she pressed their bodies back together, trapping him against her stomach with the fingers of her hand still stroking the best she could manage.

"I...uhh..." he gasped, only to groan in frustration as she suddenly stopped and rolled off him, "What..." He froze as she stretched out on the fur next to him, and brought her knees up as she let them fall apart, and looked up between them at him.

"I think we need to practice, Sirius," she said huskily as she lifted up on her elbows, beckoning with one finger as the other hand slid down between her legs. Her fingers moved slowly, drawing his eye and sending his heart racing. He just nodded, and she slowly brought the fingers of the hand that had been performing for him to her lips.

As if the act were a signal, he seemed to Apparate across the short distance between them, to crawl over her, further spreading her knees with his hips.

The world seemed to waver for an instant, and she suddenly found herself back out of her own body, looking through another's eyes. The room she suddenly found herself in was vast, and almost unrecognizable for an instant. Slowly, she picked out utterly familiar details. The flying buttresses crossing the ceiling above her head were dark, aged wood against a slowly moving crystal blue sky. Rows and rows of carved wood benches padded in red and gold stretched back towards a pair of giant, carved doors that were currently closed.

She let her eyes flick to the side, finding her mother sitting next to Hermione in the front row of the pews. Empty spots were next to them, along with a black-haired woman that Harriet had never met, but whom seemed very, very familiar. Her eyes flicked to the side, finding Xander standing near her along with Justin more or less behind him.

The doors opened and she felt a rush of heat, and her vision wavered as distantly heard music filled her ears. She watched as Harry bent close to Emilia, said something to her and she laughed before he kissed her cheek. He turned to the side and grabbed Ron's arm, who nodded and the pair vanished, only to reappear silently in the front pew next to their wives.

Harriet swallowed heavily, as she found herself looking back from across the length of the Great Hall at Hogwarts, her hair grown nearly halfway down her back and twisted into loose curls, a red-haired version of the woman at her side. A small emerald hung in the center of her forehead from a silvery circlet, similar to the familial jewelry that both Emilia and Rain were wearing.

From across the vast room, Harriet met her own eyes and a soft grin replied silently, as if the other girl was looking across time and space and finding her there. The world suddenly swirled as she were on a mad portkey trip, and vanished in rush of sound and a fall of color.

Harriet gasped as she woke up slowly, and clung more tightly to Sirius, holding him to her as her chest continued to heave. She started to stroke Sirius' sweaty hair, almost as much so as if they had truly done in reality as what she had just shared with him in his...their minds. Emilia had told her that it was possible, but until then, she had not internalized the concept. For once, her thoughts were crystal-clear, untouched by the possibilities that could be for she saw only the one that would be, at least to her mind.

Yes, Sirius, I will marry you, she whispered and watched him smile, still fast asleep though he made a small, happy sound. A sudden, hyper-realistic vision, filled her mind, her eyes going unfocused as she watched herself walking down the aisle of some vast hall, her two 'sisters' at her side and all three of them dressed in white, if slightly different.

She caught sight of the possible future version of herself in some reflective surface, her silver-grey eyes peering back from between two artfully loose red tendrils that hung down on either side to frame her face. A silver or platinum circlet crowned her head in lieu of the veil that none of the three girls were wearing, and it in turn supported a diamond teardrop that hung in the center of her forehead.

The image blew herself a kiss and the vision faded, leaving Harriet still laying in Sirius' arms on the couch. Reaching down and back, she summoned her wand from the floor, and flicked it towards the couch, freezing the cushion so as not to disturb him.

Brushing her fingers through his hair once more, she muttered a spell to dispense with the more physical remains of their fantasy, and then conjured a short note, telling him that she would see him at Emilia and Anna's party. She continued to smile, even as she slowly drifted towards the door, already dreaming ahead to tonight after the party, He really does read my mind, she smirked, I just bought that set...I wonder if he will like them better in real life.

7:20 pm

Hermione smirked as she watched Harry's eyes track her as she padded down the stairs from the upper floor to the living room of the Godric's Hollow house. She fought to keep a girlish giggle from slipping out as Harry's eyes dropped as if under a spell to trace up her legs, and she felt his appreciation of the mid-thigh-length black skirt and calf-high boots under a button-up red sweater, with a tiny gap showing at her waist as she moved. That tiny triangle of skin was seemingly there only to point his gaze up towards the much larger vee that pointed downward, courtesy of the top three unbuttoned buttons.

Wait until you see what Luna is wearing, Hermione breathed as she leaned up to kiss him, before taking a step past him to gather a robe from the back of the couch. Harry took it from her, and held it out for her to slip her arms into the sleeves before he pulled her back into him and started to fasten the clasps in front.

Yeah...but it's your outfit that will be on the library floor tonight...

She looked back over her shoulder at him to share a quick grin as he ran his hands along the sides of the tailored garment, one much more form-fitting than anything she had ever worn in the first five or six years of her life in the Wizarding world. Turning around in his arms, she let her fingers play over the tri-part crest on her left breast, that of Gryffindor, Potter and Black, before she let her hands fall to his. "We really should be going, Harry," she said softly, as her thumbs stroked the backs of his hands.

He half-smiled, "Yeah...responsibility and all that lot."

"Later, baby," she promised huskily, and they vanished without a sound.

The ornate vestibule of Black Manor appeared around them, and Harry looked down at her slightly accusingly, Damn it, Mione, he whispered hoarsely, as his mouth was suddenly as dry as a desert at high noon at the images she had sent along just as they leapt out.

She grinned and froze, biting back a response as one of Draco and Ginny's house elves appeared, his small green and silver house uniform immaculate except for a tiny Foundation for Interspecies Tolerance lapel pin. "Hello, Snappy," Hermione said instead, smiling down at the elf who had been in Draco's employ for almost the last ten years.

He nodded to her, "Lady Black, Lord Black-Master Draco and Madame Ginny will dine with you in the small dining parlor, along with Master Weasley and Madame Luna who arrived just a moment before. Please follow me," the elf turned and headed for the hallway as Harry and Hermione shared a slightly pained look at the formality.

Taking his hand, Hermione squeezed it and let Harry lead them in pursuit of the elf, following along silently along the inlaid floors of the opulent mansion. A door opened at the elf's wave and Harry and Hermione stepped through a carved oak door inlaid with scenes of notable ancient Wizarding events into a relatively small room, dominated by a oval table set for six.

Luna was already seated along the side of the table, next to Ron, who was leaning back precariously in his chair and sipping from a nearly full tumbler of Old Ogden's. As Hermione had predicted, Luna was dressed much as she was, though the skirt that covered her legs seemed to be composed of...mist...that more or less only showed the shape of her thighs. A soft, yellow jumper completed the outfit, one that tightly hugged her torso, and Harry glanced past his long-acknowledged sister, to share a long-suffering look with Ron.

Ron just shrugged and took a sip of his whiskey, before Harry looked past him, to watch as Draco and Ginny walked in. Long experience allowed him to keep his face pleasant as he found Draco in finery that would have been more suited to his dead father, than the man he had become.

Draco nodded to them, as Hermione handed off her outer robe to the elf; who vanished with a soft pop, and waved them to a seat. "Now that we are all here," Draco grinned wryly, "let's tuck in."

Harry shared an inquisitive thought with his wife as he pulled out her chair for her, before taking his own seat at the end of the table opposite where Draco was settling. Another elf, one of the several that Draco employed, appeared at Harry's elbow and poured a rather fragrant Burgundy into crystal goblets set at each place with the Black family crest cut into them.

Snappy dismissed the wine server and gestured towards the table as individual covered plates floated over, and deposited themselves in front of each dinner. A steaming basket of a dark bread popped in as the covers vanished to reveal a salad with at least four different types of lettuce, and Hermione smiled faintly as she smelled the Pronger Cheese dressing.

Grey eyes slowly traced over the guests as Harry took a small sip of the wine. Ron followed more forcefully, drinking at least half of a glass, and Draco flicked his eyes over to brown ones that held an expression that he could not quite place, not even after nearly twenty years of marriage, and almost seven years of enmity before that. He turned back to his guests, noting that neither Luna nor Hermione had touched their wine. "Is something wrong with your glass?" he asked, his face concerned. "It is from the family vineyards in Burgundy, I find it rather pleasant myself, I had hoped that you would like it."

Hermione shared a flicker of a glance with Luna, before Luna turned back to their guests even as a sudden flicker of understanding crossed Ginny's face. She looked down at her salad quickly and then over at Draco as he took a deep draft of his own wine and started to reply.

He took a breath and his hand shook, as he started to stand. The goblet spun from suddenly-numb fingers, and he half-collapsed to the table, his spayed hands on the wine-stained white table linen suddenly barely able to support him. "Wha..." he croaked as every guest leapt to his or her feet.

Harry dodged around the chair and charged towards Draco, only to be flung back as a shimmering blue field appeared, bisecting the room in front of the Draco and Ginny's place settings and cutting off the guests from the hosts. "Ginny," he snapped, "what..."

Ginny took a step back from the defensive ward, and pulled Draco into her arms. She staggered backwards under his weight, until her back hit a wainscoted wall. Her elbow hit a small pedestal-like table sending a crystal vase filled with wildflowers crashing to the floor, she swallowed and slid to the floor, still cradling Draco to her. Her wand filled her hand a moment later and pointed shakily towards the blue field, "S...stay back..."

Hermione's eyes flicked to the side as the world suddenly slowed and her and Harry's eyes lit. Suddenly the shimmering blue field was a dozen different shades, the establishing and sustaining runes glowing in soft purple just at the corners of her sight, Harry...

I can break them...he whispered, even as she felt him drawing on the magic in the ether, pulling it to him, but those are...old, Hermione, but the backlash will kill them, you could shield us on this side.

The conversation, which had only taken perhaps a half a heartbeat of real time, fell silent as wands appeared in their hands, and Hermione continued to gently probe at the wards, looking for a miniscule gap to creep her or Harry through her, or even a finger of power. But after another few milliseconds search, no hole was found. Instead Hermione forced her self to talk slowly, the words, at least to her seeming to drag like molasses on a winter's day. To every other ear except Harry's they sounded rather quick and clipped, "What's going on, Ginny?" she asked gently.

Draco coughed once and shuddered under Ginny's arms, he crept his head back to look her in the eyes, "Ginny..."

"I...I'm sorry, Draco," she whispered, ignoring the others, "I...I had to..." she ran her fingers though his hair, before she bent down and kissed him, collecting a tiny speck of bright lung blood on her lips. "F...forgive me."

"I do..." he croaked and his voice fell away as he went limp in Ginny's arms. The ward flickered and reestablished, just before one of the Potters could leap forward.

Ginny's looked back to the rest of them, "It was Snape," she murmured, just loud enough to carry to their ears, "he poisoned us..."

"Ginny," Hermione moved right up to the ward only to be bounced back harshly, Ron caught her and steadied her, "we can..."

"It's too late, Hermione," Ginny smiled regretfully, "Draco was holding out hope that Snape's counter that was supposed to be delivered to us could cure us...I was already too far gone, I guess Snape was aiming for someone a tad bigger when he poisoned us...Never say Weasleys don't pay their debts, Harry. Accio goblet," she muttered and her previously untouched glass shot to her hand and she downed it in one quick draw. "Take care of my babies, Hermione," she groaned and slumped across Draco's body.

The goblet and her wand tumbled from her hands, the former shattering into a thousand pieces, just before the ward flashed once and collapsed with a loud sound like a bed sheet being ripped in half.

Both Harry and Hermione were across the room within the next breath, each taking one of the Blacks and slipping them to the ground. Hermione probed at Ginny's neck, "Fuck," she started chest compressions and vanished the stain of poisoned wine from the redhead's lips with a flicker of power, counting to thirty before she gave her a pair of deep breaths. She started again, distantly hearing Ron calling a St. Mungo's team over the floo, and Harry working at her back, trying to revive Draco. Harry rolled back on his heels and a pulse of lightning lit the room as he fired the voltage directly across Draco's heart.

A small hand grabbed Hermione's wrists, and she looked up to find Luna kneeling on Ginny's other side. Her eyes shimmered in the light from the lamps scattered around the room, "They're gone, Hermione."

"But..."

Luna shook her head, "They are gone. I am sorry. It's too late; their souls are gone."

A moment later, four mediwizards from St. Mungo's rushed in, having had to Apparate to the arrival zone in another part of the house and rushed to Draco and Ginny, pushing aside the Potters in their rush to treat the injured.

Hermione's lower lip was trembling in the grip of her teeth as she spun to Harry and buried her face into his chest. He started to idly stroke her hair as she cried quietly into his shirt, his eyes meeting Ron's over Luna's head as she emulated her sister.

"They're gone, Jim," Harry heard a roughened voice mutter after another two minutes and he looked to the medics as they sighed and sat back on their heels, breathing heavily.

The one who had spoken, a medium-height wizard with weathered features and salt and pepper close-cropped hair, looked at Harry and then to his partners, "Time of death on her," he consulted something on a floating clipboard at his side, "seven forty five, twenty third of May...he expired about a minute before." He looked back to Harry, "Sir, we should get them to St. Mungo's..."

"No," Hermione replied as she turned from Harry. She wiped at her eyes as she took a breath, and her hands steadied as she held her hand out, palm first, and a gold badge swirled into existence, "This is a crime scene, the Ministry will handle it. Please, if you can leave your credentials, some of my investigators may be calling on you."

Harry stepped to the side, and reached into a pocket and withdrew his mirror. He fingered the scarred surface, battered by untold hours banging around in his pocket along with keys, loose coins, a folder and other random debris of life. He flipped it open, and took a tired breath, "Wendell..."

The mirror swirled for a moment, until the Specialist's face filled it. From the background that Harry could see behind him, he was most likely in some restaurant. "Yeah, Harry, what do you need?"

"Sorry to bother you," Harry said automatically, even as his eyes tracked to the side, and glanced down to the now-covered bodies. He fought down the vague, endless cold that threatened to creep up from his belly, from where he had fought so long to keep it away, "I need you at Black Manor...with a full team."

"What is it, Harry?" the Forensic Head's voice slowly tightened.

"Just get here, Wendell."

May 23, 2016
7:45 pm

Harriet smiled faintly, as she spun along a bare dirt trail, following along the shoreline of the lake that she had loved, in one universe or another, for seventeen years. He said he wants to marry me, she thought breathlessly, and giggled aloud, as she danced down the path.

She fingered a small, heart-shaped charm hanging from the collar-like band around her neck, and watched as the late afternoon sun slipped through the trees, to sparkle on the silver. A soft, happy sound slipped free as she thought of just a few hours ago, of a shared dream that had fulfilled her existence. I wonder where I left my knickers last night, she mused as she watched a pure white squirrel scamper across the path.

A quick search in her pocket found a package of crackers, almost totally smashed, and she knelt on the grass next to a tall, old oak. She opened it and sprinkled the crumbs on the ground, petting the squirrel as it came up to her without a trace of fear and started to snack on the offering.

It chattered up at her after the food was gone, or at least stuffed away in bulging cheeks and scampered into the woods.

She stood and straightened her skirt, reaching out with her mind to caress another napping one, almost a mile away and a hundred feet up. Harriet giggled again, as she felt him reach back for her, his mind unconsciously slipping into hers and slipping down into her core.

Her breath hitched, her legs wobbling slightly as a finger of heat touched her core, before relaxing back as Sirius fell fully back to sleep. He had been rather tired when she left him several minutes before, tucked away in the secured to anyone else, Room of Requirement. Which she had secured from anyone else, by the simple expedient of wishing it so.

She gnawed her lip for a moment, looking back towards the castle, her eyes tracking along a line that led invisibly towards Sirius. Did I put the wards up for Sirius? He always forgets and then I have to be on the lookout for blue kildars, and he'll probably need new socks. Harriet shook her head resignedly, as she retraced her steps, her pace unconsciously quickening as she got closer and closer to the castle.

Her shoes skidded on a patch of loose gravel at the head of the trail, as something ordered her to duck.

A jet of red light whipped through where her head had been a microsecond before, and splashed against a tree. Her wand filled her hand, as a half dozen sixth and seventh years in green and silver appeared. "Where's little Potty?" Maraisah's snide voice asked from behind a pair of burly seventh years. "He get tired of you?" she pouted, "Did he leave the little Weaselette cause she wouldn't open his legs for him?"

Harriet scowled, but did not bother to correct them, only tightening her grip on her wand as she reached out with her thoughts. She felt Sirius stir, fighting up from the mild Sleeping Draught she had fed him before leaving him, after she had plucked from his mind that he had not slept properly for the last couple of nights, because of studying for his OWLs.

"What do you think, Naomi?" Maraisah added as she glanced back to watch as the brunette Ravenclaw walked around from behind a tree, bouncing a small, glowing orb in one hand.

Harriet looked around, watching for a hole, but unlike her previous encounter, alone with the Slytherins, none dared approach her close enough for a strike. SIRIUS, she yelled, and she felt him slowly push himself awake, fighting off the draught through an effort of pure will.

He started towards her even before he was fully awake, sprinting, but he was far, too far away.

The orb in Naomi's hand was subtly...wrong, as if it were not quite there.

With a flash of recognition, Harriet realized what it was.

Naomi smirked, and walked to Harriet. The Slytherins covered the Gryffindor, "It would have been simple, you could have just left him alone...but no. You just had to try to take him from me, now you'll be dead, and He will reward me for your head." Naomi let the orb roll from her fingers to drop at Harriet's feet.

Her empty hand came up and patted Harriet's cheek, before her fingers trailed down Harriet's chest, tracing lightly down the line of buttons, "I even would have been willing to share him, but I suppose that I will have to just accept Sirius as a pet after He strips him of his power."

Naomi turned her back and started back.

Harriet dove to the side, and her wand bucked twice, sending Slytherins tumbling to the ground. Four Stunners ripped back and a tiny part of Harriet's mind noted the non-lethal attack. She rolled to the side as a Reductor exploded the ground at her feet.

"FOOL," Maraisah screamed, and a ringing slap cracked across the field. "We need her alive."

Harriet grinned darkly as she sheltered behind a huge oak, readying her wand, and wishing that she had a full combat kit, or better yet, a combat suit from one of her uncles, like the one that sat in the bottom of her trunk. She poked her head around the trunk and pulled it back just as fast as three Stunners hit the trunk. I just have to hold out until Sirius gets here...

A rush of wind swirled next to the abandoned Orb and Harriet's stomach dropped away into a bottomless pit as she knew Sirius wouldn't arrive in time. A dozen, dark, cloaked figures appeared, as the Portkey homing beacon did its job, allowing the Portkey to home in on them, even with the Hogwarts wards in place. She took a breath, started to stand, idly cursing the founders for keeping her from Apparating away, and the tree vanished behind her.

She rolled to the side, already spinning, and crumpled to the ground as a wide fan of red picked her up and tossed her back ten feet.

A tall, cloaked figure strode forward and flicked his wand, lifting her unconscious body to chest height. He laughed, and looked to Maraisah, his face still hidden by the hood. "Excellent," he said in a high, hissing voice. Long fingers reached out and traced along the exposed v of lightly tanned skin at Harriet's neck, and a dark chuckle emanated from under the hood. "Excellent." He looked around at his young disciplines, along with the newly arrived Death Eaters, "Let us leave, the hour approaches."

He held up his free hand and the orb shot to it, the Death Eaters young and old gathered round...and they all vanished in a rush of wind and a fall of rainbow light.

Barely one minute later, Sirius sprinted into the clearing in a blur, his wand in front of him in a two-handed grip and his eyes fully lit as he frantically scanned the area, having felt Harriet fall unconscious and then vanish from his perception.

His trainer scraped something on the ground, he glanced down, and froze, his hand trembling on the halt of his wand as he slowly knelt, his wand still pointed outwards and shakily picked up a carved shaft of purpleheart, the one and only wand he had ever seen made from that wood.

He slowly slipped the wand into the back of his pants, before turning on his heel, and vanishing into a run as he ran for the castle.

8:20 pm

Emilia moved at a sprint, her form almost vanishing in a blur as she chased after her brother, following the traces of power crackling along the bones of the castle like the lightning preceding a summer storm. A half dozen others trailed her, moving, individually at their best speeds as they ran in her wake.

A dirty white Kneazle, the familiar of the housekeeper, Alabaster Smityh, hissed as one of them, a tiny fifteen-year-old girl with entirely back eyes, and bright purple, spiked hair tripped over it and fell to a tumble. She turned, coming up to a knee and growled, the sound not one that ever came from a purely human throat.

The Kneazle ran, vanishing like was in a Muggle cartoon, and she glanced up, just in time to catch the hand that grabbed her on the run, pulling her to her feet and to his side.

Elliot did not say a word as he kept after Emilia, hurrying to catch up to her, and Xander and Rain, Anastasia, and the others, all of them running after one of their own, barely in control.

Elliot and Abby reached the seventh floor, and ran down the hall, Abigail holding back to stay with Elliot.

The Fat Lady hung open as they reached the entrance to Gryffindor Tower; she was sitting in a Portrait one over, watching fearfully as the last two came into the room.

Immediately, they both froze, staring at the tableau in the center of the room. Magic seemed to freeze them in place, shimmering in a faint field around the pair in the center of the room. Small first years ran, sprinting up the stairs leaving only the few who dared to remain. Abigail grabbed Elliot's hand, pulling him along the edge of the room, to stand next to Shin. Across from them, near the stairs leading up to the boys room, Rain, Xander, Nathan, Anastasia and Justin, the pair of Ravenclaws, having long since become almost Gryffindors in their own rights, watched with Rain physically holding Xander back from interfering as words and magic thundered across the room.

"We need to get hold of Mum and Dad," Emilia snapped, tendrils of her hair floating in an invisible breeze as she looked across the ten feet or so separating her from her brother. "We can't do this alone, Sirius, we just can't..."

"I tried, damnit, Em," he hissed back, his eyes fully lighting in the soft light of the room. "Don't you think I tried...Dumbledore is gone to London, I don't know where Neville is..."

"It's a trap, Sirius, if not for us then for Mum and Dad," she said quietly, carefully not approaching him.

"I DON"T CARE!" Sirius roared, magic sparkling along the edge of his fingers and glasses. His hands shot up to his head suddenly and he staggered. He looked up with terrified eyes, at her, "They have Harriet, Em...He's hurting her...I can feel it, she won't do what he wants..." he added softly, stepping back from her as she took a step forward.

"I...know, Sirius," she replied, "I know...but..."

"If it was Xander you wouldn't have even hesitated... Em, and you know it," he growled, and she blinked. She looked back towards Xander, and he nodded.

The very air in the room seemed to freeze, holding them all in place on the fork of a road whose diverging trails only led to danger or worse.

She looked back towards her brother, his smoldering eyes holding hers, "You're right, Sirius, I wouldn't have..." Walking towards him slowly, she reached out, touching his shoulder.

He did not resist as she pulled him to her, hugging him against her for a moment as the magic in the room faded back to the normal background roar of Hogwarts.

She let go and stepped back a pace, looking around the room, "Abby, Shin you are too young..."

"Sod off, Em," Abigail growled, her eyes becoming fully black again as she let her nature free. Beside her Shin nodded, and Emilia sighed.

"Rain..."

"You are kidding, right, Em?" Rain held her eyes as she flicked a wand and a moment later, a sheathed thin sword flitted down the stairs from her room and landed in her hand with a loud smack. "Where you go, I go, sis."

"Thank you," Sirius replied, his voice failing him for an instant. He looked at the others, at his family and those that might as well have been such, "Thank you..."

"Don't thank us yet, Sirius," Rain replied, looking around at them and then at Emilia, "Em..."

"Change and get your gear, people...the stuff that Fred and George give you for...emergencies," Emilia said, looking at each of them in turn and they vanished, pounding up their respective stairs, for trunks and wardrobes, for gear that their parents might have slipped in there, that they never, ever expected for their children to have to use.

A/N: I guess the die is cast.

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44. Chapter 43: A Dark Reveal

Did you really think I was dead...it takes more than life to kill me off. Thanks as usual to Lady Starlight for her work on this chapter.
Chapter 43: A Dark Reveal
*****************************Little Hangleton*****************************

11:15 pm

In a dark, abandoned cemetery, just down an overgrown and unkempt lawn from a dark, abandoned manor house, a ring of torches; their flames a sickly green, lit a flat, altar-like slab. Within the ring, a dozen, dark cloaked shapes surrounded the altar, where a tall, cloaked figure stood, looking down at the altar. His hood was thrown back, revealing dark black hair, worn long, and pulled back into a tail, gathered with a silver ring set with a black stone.

He smirked slightly as he took in the altar. Harriet was lying on it, face up, with her hands bound together and pulled tight above her head, and her legs spread slightly as her ankles were bound to corners of the rectangle. Her Hogwarts uniform was torn and ripped, her tie gone and her shirt ripped enough to show part of her bra, and her skirt was ripped alongside one leg, consequences of her futile attempts to escape. A slow drip of blood came from that leg, staining the white stone, or rather adding new stains to the stone.

As she was squirming, fighting her bonds, and yelling mutely around the gag in her mouth, he ran long fingers along her cheek. Her silvery-grey eyes widened, and glowed faintly as he ran his fingers down her neck, and along the bare stripe of skin exposed by her torn shirt. She moved as much as she could and he laughed, stepping back and vanishing her gag with a vague gesture.

Harriet took a breath, "Sirius is going to kill you," she snarled and twisted against his touch.

"Such a gorgeous little thing," the dark one murmured, he flicked one finger and she froze, only her head moving as he idly pushed aside part of her shirt, and examined the bit of black lace he found. "So much could be yours, my lovely little seer, so much power, wealth...anything you want. Join me, join with me, and the world will be yours."

"I will never be yours," Harriet snapped, almost catching one of his fingers in her teeth as he caressed her cheek.

"Either way, my dear," he replied quietly, "Your blood or your..." he smirked, "yourself, it does not matter, either way, what I need will be mine." He moved down the slab, letting his fingers trail along the outside of her leg, "I have certain...skills, it would be pleasurable." He looked over as Bellatrix joined him, looking down at Harriet, "What to do with her, mother?"

"Take her blood," Bellatrix snarled lowly, "she is a blood-traitor, worse than a Mudblood...you can find a true, unspoiled one worthy of you..."

Harriet giggled, darkly, only a hint of hysteria in the sound, and both of them looked to her, "You are about a month too late..."

With narrowed eyes, he took two steps to the head of the altar, and his hand flashed, backhanding her.

She turned her head to the side, spiting out blood and glared back up at him, "Are you going to kill me or bore me to death?"

"I assure you that you will soon have no such concerns, pity that I don't have time to discuss the other, despite it's purposelessness." The Dark Lord stepped away from her, "You would have come to enjoy it...after a time, begged for my touch..."

Harriet turned her head, closing her eyes, Sirius...help me... A dark laughter ran out and she fought back a scream as Bellatrix gestured and a searing yellow beam ripped into her, shattering nerves. Silent tears rolled down her cheeks as she convulsed, and a loud snapping POP, came from her left shoulder. Bellatrix dismissed the spell and Harriet continued to writhe, as the fire continued to randomly race along her nerves.

The Dark One reached up and pushed down Bellatrix's wand as she lifted it again, "No...we would hate to have her die or go insane-before the hour is right."

He turned at a soft sound, to find Maraisah kneeling, still in her Hogwarts uniform.

"Yes?" he hissed, looking down at her, as she prostrated herself in front of him.

"May I see to Antares now, M'Lord?" she murmured, the back of her neck bare to his gaze.

He leered, and then looked to Naomi, who was standing with several of the Slytherins, "Not quite yet." He pointed a long finger at Naomi, then crooked it, "Come here."

She glanced to the side, and found no help, not in this gathering, the Slytherins standing with her, taking a subtle half-step back. Naomi approached tremulously, stopping just out of reach.

Growling impatiently, he gestured, Naomi shot forward to hang in the air in front of him. Grinning, he pointed at Maraisah and she floated upward to hang next to the other girl, both of them with their feet several inches above the ground. Off to the side, Xavier tried to move forward, but was stopped by the hands of his companions on his shoulders. The Dark One smiled at him, "Xavier, do you not agree that your daughter should, properly, pay for her failures, and since she has taken responsibility for Parker's, his as well?"

Xavier did the only thing he could; he nodded.

"Excellent." His open hand closed abruptly into a fist, and a tearing sound filled the air as both girls' clothes were ripped from them, to land in shredded piles at their feet.

Naomi made a soft, whimpering sound, as she tried to twist in the air to cover herself, while Maraisah just looked resigned. Her eyes cut over to the side, finding Antares sitting on the ground next to a headstone.

He started to stand, and crumbled as a Death Eater kicked his leg out from under him.

The byplay did not go unnoticed, as Bellatrix giggled, and the Dark One slowly walked around the girls, nodding occasionally as he examined them. He let them float back down to the ground, unfreezing them, "Go to my chambers, be sure to-entertain-each other while you wait...Crandle, make sure that my chambers are readied, we will have much to celebrate tonight."

A dark chuckle passed around the assembled Death Eaters, as Naomi shuddered afresh and her legs wobbled. She looked down as Maraisah interlaced her fingers with hers, and pulled Naomi in front of her, Maraisah turning her back on the Dark One as she leaned forward and kissed Naomi. More laughter filled the air, as Maraisah pulled back slightly, "It's the only way, don't fight it," she whispered against the other girl's lips, "it'll be nice, luv, at least until he gets there...I promise you'll be alright."

Naomi just nodded to something in Maraisah's eyes, and let the other girl slowly lead her away, up the lawn towards the old manor house.

Crandle trailed at a distance, the set of his shoulders revealing the position of his eyes, even though a hood covered his head, as he watched their arses as they climbed the hill.

The Dark One laughed and looked around at his gathered followers as still more appeared out of the darkness, stepping into the diseased light from the torches. "Tonight," he began, stepping to the altar, "Tonight, the end comes to those fools, tonight, because of an act of their own, they will provide for my ascension. Tonight, at the stroke of night, I will become powerful beyond their darkest dreams, and the blood-traitors and Mudbloods, will quake at my passage. Tonight, we will take back what is ours by right."

He turned back to Harriet, "And it is all thanks to you, my dear. Who would have thought that a family of Blood Traitors would bring forth their own destruction?" He stroked her throat with his fingers before stepping back.

"Get her ready, Mother," he murmured as he stepped away, an aura of darkness following him as he moved into the darkness outside of the ring of torches.

Bellatrix laughed highly as she pulled a small, sharp knife from her pocket, flipped it open and swiftly cut away the remnants of Harriet's blouse, leaving her only in her black lace bra. One she had chosen so, so many hours ago for its effect on Sirius, and a torn and tattered school skirt. Harriet squirmed and fought her bonds as Bellatrix started to place lit blood-red candles around the stone. With another high laugh, she pushed Harriet's skirt aside, nicking her leg high up on the inner thigh, missing the artery by millimeters.

Harriet screamed, as Bella giggled, and gathered a bit of the redhead's blood on her fingers before taking it and drawing a rough oval around Harriet with her own blood. "Since you are spoiled," she hissed, leaning close to Harriet, "We need your blood from somewhere else."

The redhead's eyes rolled around in her head, as Bella gathered more blood, to finish the oval, leaving the wound to drip. Shuddering breaths cut through the air, as Harriet gathered herself, and locked eyes with Bellatrix. The mother of darkness froze, as a spike of cold, like the breath of space itself shot through her veins, and Harriet's soft, whispered words filled her ears as if it were the only sound in the world.

"You will die, I will see your head tumble to the ground at my feet, and I will laugh."

Bellatrix stepped back, "CRUCIO," the searing, hated yellow beam ripped into Harriet, causing her to twist against her bonds, tearing more of her already battered body as it fought against the restraints. "I will enjoy watching you die," Bella murmured, "watching your lifeblood slip away, as it opens the doorway to the deaths of all those you hold dear."

Somewhere in the darkness, beyond the light of the torches, nine lumps laid invisibly in the darkness. These figures were either hidden under invisibility cloaks, one of the few infiltration suits that were at Hogwarts, or under Disillusionment Charms, and every one under the cover of a large Aura Diffuser, the latest model from the Twins. Unless they moved, would keep them hidden even from the Dark One. It had been tested against Dumbledore. One of those four started to move, only to be stopped by a hand on his shoulder, holding him down as he tried to rise.

"Not yet," Emilia's soft soprano whispered in his ear, even as Rain held him down on the other side. The three of them were utterly invisible, and able to talk to each other over the communication sets built into the suits, ones that interfaced with beads in each of the other kids' ears. "We have to wait."

"They're hurting her," Sirius whispered desperately, his heart cracking at every hint of sound that came up the hill. Twenty meters away, a pair of Death Eaters were standing watch, half looking into the dark and half blinded by the light of the torches; Sirius spared them a glare, "We have to-"

"Not yet," Emilia pleaded, her voice just as desperate as another of Harriet's cries came up the hill.

They stopped abruptly and Sirius gasped, the noise carrying enough to make the Death Eaters turn in their way. Everyone froze, even though they were all effectively invisible, before they turned away again after a minute passed without incident. Even though Emilia could not see them, she knew his eyes were filled with pain as he responded over the mirrors, the subvocalization inaudible past a foot or two, "She knows I'm here...she's in bad shape, Em, they've tortured her..."

Emilia nodded, before she changed channels on her mirror again, desperately hoping to reach her parents, but still no contact. "They outnumber us ten to one, Sirius..."

"So," he growled, "We kill every fucking one of them, they won't outnumber us if they are dead."

"I love her too, Sirius," Emilia whispered desperately, "But if we get killed, then she will still die..."

"I'm dead if she is, Em," Sirius reminded her, his eyes staring at the stone bier where he could see Harriet, as she turned to look into the darkness, unerringly directly at his eyes. "Be sure to explain that to Mum and Dad, won't you?" he added as he settled back down, his wand in hand and pointing towards the darkness-towards an invisible point between the left and right lobes of Bellatrix's brain.

"As soon as they start, Sirius," Em promised, "They'll be distracted, and we'll attack."

***************************Ministry of Magic******************************

11:30pm

Hermione sat silently, looking straight ahead at the wall opposite her, deep within the confines of the Ministry. Far behind the various wards, spells, and physical armor that secured them twelve stories below ground, from anything, attack, communication, even, supposedly, psychic links. She stared down at a stone-cold mug of coffee, one that she vaguely remembered accepting almost an hour ago.

Movement drew her eyes, and she sighed, as Harry sat down next to her, pulling her head into his shoulder. He turned his head, kissing the top of hers, "How are we going to explain this, Harry...how are we going to tell Nate and Justin...whatever their parents did in the past, they didn't deserve this."

Harry just nodded, even as he held his lips to her hair, "No, they didn't, Love, no one does-" He trailed away as Dumbledore walked slowly into the room with the aid of a knotted, pure white staff, trailed by Remus and Tonks, who both took seats well away from the Headmaster as he sat at the table across from the Potters. Harry slowly lifted his head from Hermione's and stared across at Dumbledore flintily.

"Ron and Luna are down at the...morgue. They are taking care of the arrangements. Wendel is supervising the autopsies, but so far it looks like they were right..." Tonks swallowed and closed her eyes, letting her long dark hair fall limply in front of her eyes.

Dumbledore started to speak, his mouth opened, only to watch as Hermione slowly lifted her hand, cutting him off. She visibly held in some comment, "It's far too late, Albus. About thirty-five years too late, now..."

"Yes," Dumbledore agreed tiredly, "it is. Arthur has yet to be informed?"

Remus shook his head, "He is with Ron; I don't think that you want to talk to him right now, Albus. He did ask that you arrange for Nate and Justin to be pulled aside until Harry or Hermione can get to them to talk, as they are the heads of House Black." Remus shrugged, "I will, of course, have a team sent back with you to provide security for them to return if they wish. I have a team at Black Manor, securing it, though this does seem like Snape had the plot to himself. We have located the solicitor that he had holding his blackmail evidence, and I have a Black Ops team securing the evidence. We will classify it...It's the best solution."

Harry sighed helplessly and scrubbed at his eyes, just as a knock sounded at the door. A white-faced young woman, barely out of Hogwarts, slipped in, holding a small scrap of parchment. She darted across the room, leaning down between Harry and Hermione, as she was one of theirs, a third year cadet at the Auror academy, undergoing her field training.

Hermione glanced over at Harry, and vanished, the wards breaking with a CRACK and a flashbulb snap of light. Harry pushed the paper across the table and followed, as Remus picked up the scrap of paper, and his face became ashen. "Neville just returned to the castle, after having to run into Hogsmeade for something...The kids are gone from the school..."

***************************Little Hangleton******************************
11:59 pm

Harriet lay dangling on the edge of unconsciousness, where she had been for the last fifteen minutes at least, fighting to stay awake, aware. Waiting in the silent, unrelenting knowledge that help would arrive. Even so, however, even with the pain that fought to hammer her unconscious at best, or make her scream out at worst, she had clamped the link to Sirius closed, lest she might betray him in some way. A rapid blink of her eyes fought to keep a trickle of blood from them, as she moved her eyes about, trying to take in her captors' actions and positions, looking even now for a way to escape into the night.

The blood from the cut in her inner thigh was flowing warmly down her leg, each drip draining her a bit more, as she felt a dark, unfeeling cold emanating from a dark, wood box that had been set between her legs a few minutes back. A large, worn leather-bound book rested against that, the leather not that from a cow or a deer or even a pig-the thought of which she had repressed forcibly even more so than her ignoring of the occasional touch from one of the milling Death Eaters.

A sudden silence filled the clearing as the Dark One approached from out of the deep shadows cast by the green torches spread about the altar she was on. A small sneer filled his handsome face, as he let his fingers trail up from her stomach, and over her chest before stroking her cheek.

He moved his fingers to the side just in time to avoid her teeth and laughed, before he reached down to the dark box and opened it with the flick of two fingers.

Harriet cried out, as a sudden hard, unnaturalness caused her to shudder, sending her insides into tight, hard bundles. Silent tears escaped her eyes as she felt her own powers fighting the sudden intrusion of evil. Her eyes widened and Sirius' name filled her lips, though fortunately remained unsaid, as she reached out instinctively to touch the bright source of power that suddenly reinforced her own.

The thread of power was undetected by the Dark One however; as he lifted the knife and touched the leather-bound book once more. "I am sorry, you were lovely..." The dark, twisted blade flashed faster than thought to her already bleeding thigh, slashing deeper into it.

Thick, red blood spread along the twists and turns of the blade, and as they filled, runes set along the blade lit with an unholy greenish-yellow light. He held it up in the light of the torches, "Patefacio ianua of vicis per cruor of insons insontis." The hand holding the dagger snapped down as if the evil blade were a whip, sending a spray of Harriet's blood through the air towards the space just past her head...

The blood seemed to vanish into nothingness, and the air seemed to contract at once, before a deafening crack like a jet fighter breaking the sound barrier a foot from one's ear, staggered all those standing. A bright, silver point grew and slowly expanded until a shimmering, two-dimensional opalescent oval, about six feet tall in the long direction, hung at her head.

He turned back to Harriet, "Goodbye, my dear...Veneficus of verus versus reverto volo-"

Lightning lit the night, blinding every eye. As they cleared a forked branching bolt, colored a seething, rolling black, snapped from the portal to impact the Dark One. His arms snapped outward, as twin red suns filled his eyes and dim, nearly invisible ultraviolet colored flames danced around his fingers, even as he slowly rose in the air. The bolt cut off with another crack, and he let his hands drop, even as he settled lightly back on his feet.

He lifted the blade back over his head, positioning the tip above her heart.

"NO!"

*************************Hogwarts************************************

12:05 am

"And where, exactly did they go?" Hermione growled, pacing in front of the assembled, remaining family members scattered about the Common Room. She looked over to Harry, who shook his head, his hands shoved far down in his pockets to keep from wringing them in from of him.

Virginia looked up from the couch, frowning as she idly stroked Kris' side, she bit her lip, "We don't know for sure, they took Harriet, and they went after them...I think that Sirius was leading them where they needed to go."

The entire room turned to the portrait hole as it opened and Luna stepped in, followed closely by Ron. He was leading her by the elbow, almost as if she was not quite seeing the here and now, and as she looked to Hermione, her silver eyes glowing like moons, it was obvious that she was not. "They are in the place that the darkness took hold once before, and tries to again...Where the son of darkness seeks to become one with his sire..."

Nodding, Hermione stepped forward and caught Luna's other arm as she stumbled, blinking heavily. "Little Hangleton," Hermione growled, and looked back to Harry.

He closed his eyes, and sighed as he felt the rest of the Gryffindor getting to their feet, and a bleak smiled fell on his lips. A greenish glow leaked from under his lids, as he shook his head morosely, "No, all of you are staying here. Ron, are you and Luna ready?"

Ron nodded, and walked over to Harry, grabbing his arm as he slung a sheath over his shoulder, letting his dagger, which was currently in its short sword form, hang inverted down his back. Harry opened his eyes and looked over to find Hermione and Luna with the blonde standing with her back to her 'sister's front, Hermione's arm around her waist with the other on top of it, her wand already in her hand.

Hermione reached up and touched her ear, activating the ear bud that she had put in on the run, along with the rest of her combat blacks. A soft, three-note tone rang in her ear as the mirror it was linked to established the extensive Arithmatic encryption protecting the Auror comms. "Tonks," she muttered, not caring that those in this room could overhear.

"Go, Bookworm," Tonks replied with a faint trembling in her voice, audible even over the flatness of the encrypted channel.

"Little Hangleton."

"Wotcher fuck."

"Yeah." Hermione took a breath, "We're leaving now...get your arse there ASAP."

"Confirm," Tonks swallowed, "Hermione..."

"We'll get them back, Tonks, get everyone you can find. Bring them as heavy as possible. Clear." Hermione glanced over at Harry, her eyes filled with the terror that she could not let her mouth give voice.

"The rest of you, tell Dumbledore when he gets here, that we went to Little Hangleton, and send along the rest of the help, and someone find Poppy and have her brought along." The four of them vanished between heartbeats, and the Gryffindor Common Room exploded into action.

**************************Little Hangleton********************************

Ten Death Eaters fell almost before the sound from Sirius' scream faded away, two to him and another pair to his sister, neither one of them breaking stride in the slightest as they charged through the ring of Death Eaters towards the altar. Rain, Xander and Justin followed them, a loud crunch carried as Xander broke the neck of another one, and suddenly the forlorn hope was standing in the center of the cleared area, surrounded by at least another forty Death Eaters.

Dark smoky columns appeared at the edge of the torches' light as the Death Eater's numbers doubled, and half again.

"Look...new playthings," the Dark One laughed and sent a forked beam of canary racing towards the teens.

Tombstones shot through the air, intercepting the beams, and shattered into gravel. Emilia let her wand track over towards the face that a distant, quavering part of her soul identified as the eighteen-year-old living, breathing image of Tom Riddle. Behind and around her, she could feel the reactions of the others; all of them having grown up after, indeed their entire existences were predicated on the generation-ago defeat of Lord Voldemort.

"Who...who are you?" Emilia asked, carefully not letting her eyes flick to the side as Sirius tried to start to edge around him, towards Harriet. The thick, multi-layered anti-Apparition and Portkey wards pressed in on her, ones that only a Phoenix could break on the way out.

A gesture and a stone wall appeared in Sirius' path, "No, I don't think so..." The Dark One muttered as he turned back to Emilia. The rest of the group of teens slowly circled, their wands facing outward, as the unnamed one seemed to ponder the question for an instant, "There is a certain symmetry at hand, one might say," he said, seeming to fight laughter. "The Potter heirs...and their few friends against me and my armies...I do not have a name...not really, not as ones such as yourselves would understand it. I have never limited myself to such frivolities. However, you might as well call me...Lord Voldemort."

Emilia licked her lips and reached back over her shoulder, pulling free the custom blade that rode her back. She felt a warm rush as the glow in her eyes brightened, along with that of her brother's. "That's fine," she replied very quietly, "My parents killed the first one, I suppose that we should only do our part."

"Such confidence," he smirked and flicked a hand. A turquoise wave flung Justin from his feet, sending him crashing into a headstone, where he lay moaning. "There is much potential in you," he went on as Rain quivered in near motion beside Emilia wanting to race to Justin, but not daring to move-yet. He grinned, "Did I hurt the little boy...No matter," he added with a shrug, "Just a son of a traitor, I would have gotten to him eventually."

Emilia's hand that held her wand snapped to the side, halting Rain as the girl started to gather herself to the attack, and the self-styled Voldemort laughed along with many of his followers. She could feel Abigail and Elliot slowly picking their way around the edge of the clearing, still in darkness, and carefully kept them out of her mind.

Instead Emilia looked to her right, to her brother who was desperately wanting to battle, even if it was hopeless save for that tiny chance, to escape with their lives. Sirius took a breath and reached over his shoulder, as he sheathed his wand. A brief flicker of movement and he reappeared next to Bellatrix, his blade at the Dark Witch's throat, "Let us go or she dies," he snapped, and glanced over his shoulder at Harriet, "All of us."

"But why would I want to do that?" the Dark Lord mused, "she has served her purpose...let her die, why would I care?" He shrugged as he turned fully to Sirius, "Go ahead-"

"NOW," Emilia snapped and a double handful of marble-sized, glowing yellow sphere arced out of the night, and detonated in a shower of viridian sparks. Instantly, almost every Death Eater surrounding the teens collapsed as the Immobilization Spheres detonated. Sirius dove to the side, shielding himself and letting Bella escape as he fired a pulse at the Dark Lord, rocking him back a dozen feet and driving him through the surrounding ring of Death Eaters.

Well there we go, once more into the breech.

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45. Chapter 44: Maelstrom

Yep…alive. I have issues but they haven’t killed me yet. Thanks to Lady Starlight for her work on this chapter, and a certain evil little bunny for getting me off my ass and posting this chapter.
Chapter 44: Maelstrom

Instantly the battle erupted into a maelstrom of wand fire, red, green, gold, blue, orange—a myriad of colors lighting the night as the kids took the offensive, taking almost two dozen more Death Eaters out of the fight in as many seconds. The Spheres had dropped another twenty, and Sirius and Emilia charged the Dark Lord with a sense of desperation as Xander raced to Justin and picked him up on the fly, nearly flinging him towards Abby as she raced toward Harriet.

The Dark Lord chuckled and casually batted away the pair of Reductors converging on his head, before he flicked a hand, and sent Sirius crashing back through one of the flaming torches. Emilia’s blade flicked at his chest only to crash into a long, serrated blade that appeared in Voldemort’s hand in a spiral of black smoke.

She tumbled backwards, dodging a long swipe and cut sideways at his ankles, watching as he levitated above them with a long sideways bound. A crackle of purple lighting raced from Voldemort’s wand, only to be caught desperately on Emilia’s sword, knocking it from her hand with an accompanying yelp of pain. Emilia ducked and sprinted to the side, jumping just as a Cutting Curse snapped at her heals. She tucked into a ball as she dove over the top of her fallen blade, taking it in passing and snapping it back towards her foe, sending a sizzling blue ball to explode on his robes in a shower of bluebell flames.

To the side, Emilia swallowed as she found Rain trapped by Death Eaters, and turned back to her own fight, having no choice but to allow her sister to fight her own battles.

Rain Mai Kincaid was not the most powerful witch or wizard in this dark, bloody night; swept by chill, source less winds and lit with the periodic flickers of sickly, green flames. She tightened already white knuckled hands on the twisted, worn grip of her sword, one that her father had presented to her years before, and made still years earlier. A flicker of memory, of her father’s laughing face as he lightly ‘dueled’ with his precocious daughter, her a mere wisp to his solidness, blue eyes twinkling below short reddish hair, as he lightly blocked the slow strike of a foam-covered wooden sword with the one in his hand.

Her mother had been leaning against the wall of the workout room in her father’s combination forge, workshop and dojo, built of the same redwood as the surrounding trees that hid the house and shop from prying eyes and sheltered it from the elements.

Rain’s eyes slowly met the three surrounding her, as they slowly moved about her, sniggering lowly. Her breathing never increased, as she waited, holding for that invisible, unseen moment that would start…and end this duel, even as seemingly unfair as it was to her. Yes, she was not the most powerful, fastest, most indestructible here this night, that honor probably belonged to the trio fighting with dark desperation off to her left, somewhere, but she was much, much closer to that that plateau than some might think from the picture before them. In the end, while she might not be able to shatter mountains with her powers, or move so fast that a mortal eye could not follow her, she was at the bleeding edge of ‘normality’.

And in the end, as the trio of Death Eaters, all of whom held long, sharp double-edged blades in their gloved hands, occasionally trying to taunt her with them, trying to draw her into attacking; that was more than enough.

A slow dibble of blood traced down one cheek, flowing down under the neck of her suit, from an earlier near miss, but she held her center, waiting. One of the first things that her father had taught her, even before letting her pick up that practice sword, was that the fight, a true fight, often truly ended in the same instant that it actually started. Long, drawn-out duels with blades, or magic, or whatever were rare.

Unconsciously, not really seeing anything in particular, she waited for some unknown signal, a tightening of a brow, a tensing of a bicep that would signal an attack. The instant that there was no possibility of defense for even the quickest, as their entire being would be set on the attack.

“Do you really think that you can fight us, little girl?” the one directly behind Rain sneered, her voice rough. “Why don’t you just lay that little toy down and we can…have a little fun?”

Rain remained silent as the other two laughed darkly, and slowly lifted their swords. The one off to her front and right, flicked his blade at her, and she did not even bother to dodge, already knowing it would miss her by several inches. The clang of Emilia’s sword against another carried to her ears, and even that did not seem to faze her, even though her sister in truth was fighting for her life less than a hundred yards away.

The truth was, the truth that so many Death Eaters never realized, that so many in general never realized, was that this was no training salle, no practice fight in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Death Eaters, as a rule, almost never came up against those who did not flee in fear, did not panic. And they especially did not encounter those who just looked at them implacably, waiting for their slightest error in position or action or even thought.

Perhaps it was the bead of sweat that bloomed just above the dark mask of the one on her right, or the tightening of a muscle in the left one’s neck, or the faintest scrape of a boot on gravel from behind, but suddenly she knew.

Rain was already moving as the one on her right front moved towards her, his blade flashing down. Her blade flicked up and right, the infinitely sharp edge not even seeming to feel the cloth, flesh and bone it cut through effortlessly as she opened his torso up from right hip to left shoulder and spun down and to her left, ducking below the horizontal slice of the one on her left, spinning around him, and cutting back to her right, severing his spine just below his skull.

She dropped away under the cut of the woman who had been behind her, and thrust upward, thrusting the point of her sword through the soft palette of the third Death Eater and out the top of her head, and withdrawing the blade before the woman fell to the ground. Rain took a breath, her eyes wide and shifted bounding away into the darkness on four legs, leaving behind the remains behind her.

Emilia did not see the fight as she panted on her knees for a breath or two as Sirius sprung back into the fight. She winced as he took the edge of a Cutting Curse, and she snapped her gaze to the side as a pair of Death Eaters appeared out of the night, aligning on his back as he continued to duel the second Lord Voldemort.

An ice-blue spell took both of the Death Eaters in the torso, freezing them solid, only to have them crumble into frozen chunks a beat later.

Emilia picked off another from Abby’s back, even as her and her brother were taking out another two, their Lycan parentage more than evident as they darted about, moving faster than their opponents. Emilia shared a quick look with her mate from fifty meters away, his fully black eyes as able to seem in the gloom as her emerald-lit ones, and she charged back to the attack.

Voldemort jumped backwards as Emilia hammered a succession of Reductors at him, a blue rain of Plasma that seared the ground at his feet into chunks of seared glass, and giving Sirius precious breathing room.

Sirius dove out from behind a blackened head stone marked with ‘Harvester’ and snapped his wand downward sending a spiraling amber curse into Voldemort’s shoulder. He roared his displeasure, and retaliated, knocking Sirius back as the curse cracked his shield like an egg hit with a hammer.

Emilia screamed, and charged again, her blade vanishing into a silver blur as it danced, crashing into the Dark Lord’s blade again and again. The tip shot out, flicking beneath Voldemort’s guard, and into and out his side. He roared and shot one hand out, sending her tumbling arse over teakettle, his sword shot up and she screamed as his own sword ripped a long furrow down her thigh. Her knee buckled as she landed, and collapsed back flat onto the cold, bare ground.

Sirius’ vision flared and he took the strike of a black, flaming whip, letting it wrap around his sword as he moved to block the attack on his sister. He grunted as the whip pulled him forward and around, smashing him into a tombstone, and through a torch. The green flames licked at, but did not manage to burn through the shadow suit before he waved a hand and extinguished the flames.

“GO TO HARRIET,” Emilia snapped, rolling to her feet as she gathered herself to rush back. Sirius glanced back he swallowed as he saw Bellatrix moving forward towards the altar with the dagger in her hands.

Bellatrix shot a stuttering yellow bolt from her wand, knocking Shin down in a spray of blood and cackled maniacally.

“EM…”

“Go, damn it.”

Bellatrix ducked a red, flickering beam from Rain, one of the few kids still standing, and sprinted back through the fighting, running toward the white stone altar where she found a tiny black-haired girl struggling with the magically reinforced bonds holding Harriet down to the altar. Abby growled, her eyes fully black, and pulled at the bond holding Harriet’s right leg. The stone snapped with a loud CRACK, with the rope still not letting go.

Abby took a step back, pointed her wand at the rope, and a blue bolt hissed across the distance, vaporizing the rope in a searing flash of light. Harriet hardly moved; her eyes only on Sirius as he and his sister dueled desperately with the Dark One. Harriet let a faint whimper escape as a yellow beam flickered past Sirius’ defenses and dropped him to his knees.

Emilia vanished and reappeared, and dark, nearly black blood hissed as it fell to the ground, as her blade flashed. The Dark One roared, dropping his curse and flung his hand out, sending Emilia tumbling back through the air. She flipped in mid-air and sprung back at him as her feet hit a marker, swinging desperately at his head, only to watch, bewildered as a shadowy blade appeared in his hand to block her strike.

The glowing, silvery portal still hung open at Harriet’s head, as Abby fired at the next bond, missing as she ducked a wild Cutting Curse. She gathered herself, the end of her wand already shimmering blue with a Reductor charge as she concentrated on not blowing off Harriet’s leg…

“CRUCIO,” Bella screamed and Abby dropped to the ground, her wand tumbling from nerveless fingers. Bella dropped the curse and kicked the small teen in the ribs, sending her rolling to the side. “I will finish it, my Lord,” she cried and reached down, picking up the twisted black dagger that had fallen there when the teens attacked out of the night, and lifted it high. She took a breath and plunged it straight down at Harriet’s heart…

“NO!” Sirius screamed as he forced himself to his knees, and flung his hand towards the plunging dagger. His eyes blurred just as it reached her chest, missing it, as the desperate pulse of magic pushed aside the knife, ripping into Harriet’s left chest just under her breast and down along her side.

“YOU BITCH,” he roared and vanished, reappearing next to Harriet, and flinging back Bella with a wave of his hand.

She stumbled to her feet, “Look, a whole new wee little Potter,” she sneered and brandished the dagger in one hand as she lifted her wand towards Sirius, “Did I hurt your little slag?” Bella glanced past his shoulder at Harriet, as Abby forced herself to her feet, and with an inhuman growl, ripped the bonds tying Harriet to the slab in half.

Her fangs were fully dropped as she caught Harriet as she rolled from the slab into her arms, barely holding up the much taller girl. Kill the bitch, Sirius, Harriet muttered and collapsed to her knees, taking Abby with her.

“Did your whore get a boo boo?” Bella continued to taunt as she turned back to Sirius, “She’s going to die, my Lord will still…ERRK…”

She silenced suddenly as Sirius swatted his left hand at the air and the Dagger and Bella’s wand were ripped from her grasp to tumble off into the dark. A red beam, a random overshot, tore from the darkness directly at Sirius, and vanished just as it almost reached him. Twin emerald suns drove back the darkness, their pure light, so unlike the tainted flickering light of the torches as to not even be of the same spectrum, as Sirius slowly stepped toward Bellatrix.

“No,” she said disbelievingly, turned, and tried to run, only to find herself unable to move.

Sirius’ sword rested back along his forearm, held inverted in his fist as he lifted his free hand slowly, and Bella rose into the air, turning back to face Sirius. His eyes narrowed, as he closed his fist and Bella coughed, choking as the small bones of her throat snapped one by one… He vanished between heartbeats, twisting as he bounded forward in a blur, leaving a faint glowing afterimage behind, he twisted as he passed, his right arm coming up and around, and Bella’s head tumbled to the ground behind him, bouncing once before coming to a stop at Harriet’s feet.

Ignoring the sudden corpse behind him and the blood rapidly soaring into the dead grass at his feet, Sirius moved over to Harriet, taking her in his arms as he slipped down to the base of the blood-stained stone, and cradled her, fighting back tears at how very, very tiny she seemed all of a sudden. Only the tattered fabric of her skirt had survived the night’s events, the Dagger had cut through the fabric of her bra, leaving it dangling.

Sirius glanced up to see the sparkling light of his sister still fighting an ultimately loosing battle with the Dark One, and Rain, Justin, and Xander still fighting somewhere in the darkness against the still much greater numbers. He glanced over as Elliot popped up from behind a stone, moving stiffly and dropped a Death Eater with a Stunner to the back of the head, before falling back behind cover where he was sheltering a wounded Shin.

“Sirius,” Abby asked quietly, “is she going to be alright?”

“I don’t know,” Sirius replied as he dropped his sword to the ground next to him and summoned a defensive ward around them, before lying Harriet down on the ground and rapidly binding her chest with conjured bandages. Swallowing heavily, tears speckling his eyes, he watched as the bandages turned red instantly. Sirius reached out with his mind, feeling the anti-Portkey wards that still held sway; risen since they had started fighting seemingly days ago.

Harriet turned her head to Sirius, her silver eyes holding his, Go, my Love, help Em, I will be alright.

But…

Get your arse out there, and help her, Sirius Ronald, she growled faintly. She coughed once, and he nodded, bending down and kissing her, licking his lips at her blood that he found there. He started to rise, and stopped, reaching quickly to the second wand sheath strapped to his left forearm on the Shadow Suit, and pulled out her wand, and pressed it into her hands, receiving a faint smile in turn.

“Stay with her,” Sirius took Abby, “get her over to Elliot if you can.”

“Merlin won’t get her,” Abby replied, her appearance fully feral now as she looked back up at Sirius, her voice deeper than normal.

“I know,” Sirius whispered and stood, his eyes blazing as he slowly panned his eyes around, watching as the Death Eaters still present continued to duel with the few remaining kids. He watched as Rain rolled under a wild spell and bounded upward, her sword neatly taking off the Death Eater’s wandhand at the wrist before she reverted it with a deft flick of her wrist.

Emilia met his eyes from across the dark graveyard, before she continued to slowly turn, looking for the Dark Lord who had vanished at the instant of his mother’s death. Sirius started to move towards her cautiously, his eyes flicking about---

“SIRIUS,” she screamed as a black shadow appeared just behind him. A shimmering greenish-yellow spell sent her brother tumbling into the night. Before she could even breathe a second time, an impossibly strong, invisible hand picked her up by the throat. The world slowly faded until she flew backwards through the air, crashing back through the ruins of the stones.

Emilia quivered as her eyes flickered, panting heavily as she lay crumpled against the bottom of a shattered headstone. Distantly she felt her blood dripping down her slack fingers onto the barren ground, and the grinding of the shattered ends of her ribs against each other with each movement of her chest.

Looking across the scattered ruins of the graveyard, still lit by the flickering fire of several still standing torches, she found Xander looking back at her, his eyes still totally black. He reached for her, and a dark laugh boomed across the way, as the Dark One stepped out of the night.

He glowered down at Emilia as he kicked her sword away into the night, and reached out his hand, catching her wand as it flew to him. He looked over to the stone altar, where Sirius was trying to push his way back to his feet, next to Harriet who had passed out again. The silvery light from the portal shone brightly on Harriet’s hair, and the Dark One only laughed further as he lifted a dark, shimmering blade above his head, ready to strike down.

His other hand snapped out, palm outward and an invisible force pinned her to the ground, “It is a shame that I do not have time to entertain you properly, you are rather lovely…you could have joined the pair already waiting for me. Or perhaps a few of my followers,” he mused.

Emilia spat out blood, “Fuck you.”

He laughed, “The time for that is gone, I am afraid.” The blade tilted slightly, the sickly green light falling off the cutting edge like ichor. “But I must be back to my task—“

A thunderous BOOM sounded as the sword fell, lighting ripped across the sky, and the flashing sword bounced to the side with a clang, as a glowing blue blade intercepted its arc. A wave of faintly visible energy flashed, flinging him back a good fifty feet to crash through a tall, grey headstone emblazoned with the name of Johnson.

A/N: I wonder who could have just arrived? Yeah, I know it’s been a bit, sorry. In other notes I am working on the song list for this one, usual Nickelback works pretty well, along with a few others…and I am dying to do something with Bad Girlfriend song…maybe a h/hr…vinette…hehehe.

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46. Chapter 45 Through the Shimmering Curtain

As usual….well I’m never usual. Thanks to a Little Bunny for getting me to post this, and thanks to Lady Starlight for her work on this fic, It’s been a while…

Chapter 45: Through the Shimmering Curtain

A pair of shadows resolved out of the darkness, emerald eyes blazing enough to displace the night. The smaller of the pair slowly bent down next to Emilia, her fingers stroking wet, dark curls away from her eyes.

“Mummy…I’m sorry—“

“Shh…” Hermione murmured, bending forward to kiss Emilia’s hair, “You did your part, honey, let us take him now.”

“We couldn’t…he had Harriet—“

Hermione nodded again and flicked her fingers as she stood. Emilia’s sword shot out of the darkness to drop into her hand, Hermione glanced around, and summoned Emilia’s wand as well, from where it had fallen, and handed them to her daughter before slipping over to Harry.

The Sword of Gryffindor filled his hand, pointing down and away from his body, the blade still glowing brightly. Her fingers brushed his empty hand before she took a pair of large, gliding steps to the left, opening up the distance between them. She watched, her eyes blazing, as the Dark One pushed his way upright, and laughed.

“It’s is too late, I have all of the powers of my sire, and my own, thanks to your son’s little slut. You can not hope to stand against me.”

A head of chestnut curls slowly looked to her right, meeting a pair of glowing orbs as she crooked an eyebrow. “Honestly,” she growled, “Our children, held their own against you. What exactly do you think that we are going to do to you?”

Harry’s free hand slowly rose to chest height as a sizzling blue-white ball of chained lightening danced on his palm, flickering in time with the fire in his eyes. He did not say a word as he let the power skitter and flow, well beyond any repartee with his foe. He started to walk to the side, the tip of the Sword ripping a fiery trail in the barren soil as the trio started to circle each other, waiting for an opening.

Hermione’s eyes flicked to the side as Emilia steadied herself, gripping her sword, “No, Emilia, it’s ours now.”

“But, MUM…”

“You have done enough, Poppet,” Harry said without ever removing his gaze from his foe, “There are still plenty to go around, go take care of the rest of the family.”

“Done playing with the kiddies?” Voldemort taunted, and watched Emilia turn and sprint into the night. He did not even wince as she dispatched a pair of his Death Eaters that were still harrying the remaining kids who by now had retreated to a thin defensive wall around Harriet. A stone wall had been created around the stone table where the redhead still waited, and Emilia vaulted it to stand back to back with Rain.

The crash of Reductors from off to the right, where Luna and Ron were fighting a running battle, almost drowned out the remainder of his comment, “Shame, she has a rather nice arse.”

“Yes, she does,” Hermione retorted matter-of-factly, “but that is the last you’ll see of it.”

The Dark Lord smirked at her words, turning back to Hermione with soft, laugh, that eerily reminded her of another Dark Lord and another night a long time ago. “We shall see, Lady Potter,” his words dripping with sarcasm. “Perhaps you shall join her in my bed, I admit, I have never had a mother and daughter, it should be...

A flare of blue light, forked and spiked, ripped across the night, sending him spinning to the side. His robe smoldered as he turned to Harry, whose wandtip was smoking slightly. “Did not like that Potter, afraid that I am more a man than you?”

“No, not really,” Harry whispered, with a glance to the side as Hermione waved to one of the kids, sending them back, again, “I rather expect that I would hate to inflict the—boredom—such an encounter would impart to either of them.” Harry resheathed his wand on his thigh, transferring the sword back to his right in the same motion. It slid to a low guard, the point trailing as one toe fell back, digging into the disturbed soil of the graveyard, “Let's dance, Lord Voldemort, and settle this here and now.”

“Why, Potter, I would think that you are ready to die,” A bar of silver danced in the remaining light of the few torches still standing as Harry vanished in a blur, racing forward to crash the sword into a suddenly reappeared one in Voldemort's hand.

Only a bare few individuals in the world could have followed the action without aid of advanced cameras or magical devices. Hermione and her children, of course, a significant portion of those, as they watched Harry and the Dark Lord duel. The Sword crashed into a dark blade, sending Voldemort staggering back. Harry, spun back, the blade arching down towards Voldemort's feet, only to find air as he leapt above it, striking back with his own blade, only to find the Sword already there, interposing itself between Harry's neck and death.

Blocking inwardly, Harry flipped to the side and sent a flaming filament towards his opponent's knees, searing the black cloth and raising a howl of pain. An emerald beam, sent with the sound of a thousand rushing horses retaliated only to shatter on a chunk of flying stone that raced to intersect it. Voldemort turned to the side, just in time to barely deflect the overpowered Reductor that raced towards his chest, sending it careening into the night as Hermione charged, her own blades flickering faster than the unaided eye could see, sending a steady wave of destruction towards him.

He spun back, gesturing towards the still-open portal and a fresh trail of black lightning raced to him. He gestured and it redirected, crashing into Hermione and sending her sprawling, her sudden scream of agony hammering at Harry's soul as he raced back in. Voldemort gestured again, sending the dark magic at Harry, and only succeeding in plowing a glass-filled furrow in the ground as Harry leapt twenty feet to the side, flipping over a line of stones and rolling down a small hill.

Mione? he gasped, and got back, a moment later a mental moan.

“Come out, Potter,” Voldemort taunted and deflected a wave of Reductors sent his way from the few kids still in the fight. He did not bother to retaliate as he strode tauntingly towards the spot where Hermione had flown. An inarticulate scream of rage filled the night as he reached the sheltered spot only to find her not there, a few traces of bright red blood on a bare stone the only marks of her passage.

Here, Harry, Hermione replied a beat later, crouched in invisibility twenty yards from where the Dark Lord railed. Distantly both of them felt the fresh Apparations traces, as the reinforcements finally arrived and started to work inward, taking out Death Eaters, one, two, three at a time, slowly and almost inconspicuously pressing the fifty or so remaining ones, that had been concentrated on the kids, and ignoring the Potters as the Dark Lord had already commanded, against that deadly bulwark composed of Emilia, Sirius, Rain, Xander, Elliot and Abby, the still-functional ones that is. Honestly, she sighed, that's a rather annoying trick.

What the hell is going on? Harry replied, vanishing himself into intangibility and slipping towards the Dark Lord's other side, There's no--

Hermione's eyes flicked about, aided by magic she picked out details around Harriet, and then the portal and back to the Dark Lord. A sudden flash of insight, aided by years of research, and esoteric magical knowledge, He's used Harriet as an anchor to call, at the very least, Tom's magic to him through time, maybe more...he's reinforced his powers...

Is it enough?

No, Hermione replied darkly as she tightened her grip on her weapons, not with my kids in his sights, it isn't anywhere near enough.

In the darkness beyond where the main attraction was occurring, dark as it was, another, just as desperate battle was raging.

Luna spun, the Death Eater in front of her fluttering to the ground in a lifeless heap, moving out of the way of the green bolt from a second that she had seen pass this way a millisecond before. It went on to end in a cut-off scream as it hit a third, and a fourth died as Ron fired over her head, shattering the skull of an unmasked Eater with a Reductor.

“Move,” he grunted, grabbing her collar with his left hand, which also held his wand, and pulling her to the side as he cut up and left, his short sword flicking out to a take a throat. His wand bucked, and a purple wave cut another pair of Eaters off at the knees, before he joined Luna behind a pile of rubble near the edge of the graveyard. “How are they doing?” he asked, not looking at his wife, as he picked of another Death Eater from cover and cast a shield almost with the same movement. A brief, unasked thought passed, regarding the casual ease that he cast these days and the despair that he had felt when he was his daughter's age about ever casting silently, let alone at the level he did now.

A thick, twisted blue-white beam raced from Luna's wand, freezing solid a Death Eater in mid-stride as he raced towards them. His momentum continued and he crashed to the ground to shatter into a thousand giblets. “That's going to be rather a mess,” she remarked absently. Her eyes flicked to Ron, distant and almost empty as she probed the night, “Harriet...is bad,” she whispered and even the soft, airy tone could not hide her bone-deep fear from him, “some of the rest aren't all that much better, really...Hermione just broke a couple of ribs, I think...And Tonks and Remus are finally here...” Luna winced as an Auror died out in the darkness, victim of one of the Death Eaters who had started to realize that the tide had already turned against them—assuming Harry and Hermione won; that is.

A few hundred yards away, a half-dozen Death Eaters sprinted into the woods surrounding the manor house and the graveyard below. They turned back towards the terribly beautiful lightshow filling the night centered around the trio fighting there, and stood awestruck for a heartbeat as a blue-white wave tossed the Dark Lord to the ground.

“We should go, Charles,” a tall woman said, grabbing onto the sleeve of a Death Eater.

“How...” he moaned, seemingly ignoring her, “they couldn't have known...The damn Mudbloods and traitors...”

A soft crack of a branch breaking carried, somehow, over the sounds of battle below, and a single woman, dressed in black, with short, spiky inky hair stumbled out of the woods, and almost fell into the center of them. Every eater spun, wands extending, “At least we can kill this one,” the woman said, “AVADA--”

Tonks' slight form seemed to melt away, to reform right next to herself, as she dodged to the side. The Death Curse shot across, killing a Death Eater behind her, just as she slashed her wand sideways sending a pair of silver jets out to drill neat, two-inch holes in the hearts of the Death Eaters who had spoke. She dove left, moving out of the way, and deflected a pair of Reductors with a conjured blue shield, dropping it even as she bounded straight up, her right heel spinning around to neatly clip the chin of another Death Eater, dropping him in a pile of robes.

A silver flash and she grunted as a Cutting Curse creased her side, and the scent of her blood filled her nostrils, and as she retaliated with a overcharged Reductor that collapsed the shield it was aimed at, and knocked another Death Eater out.

The scent carried to one other as well.

A scream died almost as fast as it began as a wall of silver-grey fur, white teeth and serrated claws rushed out from the tree line, tearing into the remaining Death Eaters surrounding Tonks. A splash of red nearly reached her, as she took another one out of the fight permanently.

Lupin turned from his target with a soft growling howl, tossing away an arm, and shrugged off a pair of Reductors as if they were Stinging Hexes cast by a first year. One long leap carried him into the midst of three more and his claws flashed to the side, disemboweling two even as jaws ripped out the throat of the third. The remaining pair tossed down their wands and tried to flee, only to be casually stunned by the Metamorph.

Reaching up, she did not even seem to notice the bits of blood and other matter on Remus' fur as she scratched him between the ears, and he sniffed at her, “Wotcher, I'm alright.”

A wolfish grunt answered her and he bounded off into the night, racing along the tree line to catch more Death Eaters as they tried to escape, in this type of battle, he would be more effective in that role than any. Tonks watched him leave, and then dark eyes hardened once more as ten Aurors slipped from the night, all that she had been able to gather that had full gear.

“Let's go,” she said and touched a rune on her shadow suit, and faded away.

Emilia ducked forward, just in time for Rain’s sword to slice through where her eyes had just been, to continue on to send a Death Eater tumbling back a foot shorter. A flare of blue-white fire flashed from her off hand, shattering another pair of Death Eaters, and suddenly the area around the kids, was clear, the nearest fighting, her parents as they flicked in and out of existence, closely engaging the Dark Lord.

Hermione panted as she flicked her wand at the ground, changing it to a swamp beneath Voldemort’s feet. He sank instantly to his knees, and stuck there as she swiped her wand again, making the ground solid. A whitish beam erupted from Harry’s wand, deflecting around a silver shield that appeared in his hand.

A glittering dome of ice covered the Dark Lord, and Harry gestured to each side, summoning a pair of twin vortexes. The swirling winds instantly picked up small, shattered bits of stone, that ripped into the dome, shattering it into a trillion tiny chunks. Lord Gryffindor scowled as the mini-tornados vanished to leave only slowly melting chunks of ice and no Dark Lord.

He looked to the side and exploded into a long, magic-assisted backflip just as a stuttering fuscia spell shattered the ground at his feet. Pain flickered through his mind as he felt Hermione catch the nimbus of some unknown spell, and her silent cry filled his head.

Hermione’s return rent the night with a long, white crack of lightning, shattering more grave markers even as the new Voldemort vanished in a dark blur. Hermione took a breath and jumped straight up, vanishing into the darkness even as the ground came alive at her feet, giant stone serpents oozing out of the soil to strike at her heels.

A wave of fire shattered them, and Harry ducked back behind a retaining wall. He bit back a grunt as the wall shattered next to him, sending a rain of small rubble to batter him. Harry dove out and away from the spellfire, and reached up, feeling the blood on his forehead for an instant before the pain and injury were pushed aside.

Seventeen years ago, Alastor Moody had remarked that the Potter’s largest advantage, and greatest weakness were one and the same, each other. Back then, Hermione would have already rushed out to attack, to drive the Dark One back, not taking that femtosecond’s pause to check on Harry’s condition. But now…they had learned, and learned well.

Instead of the desperate charge, one that was still within both, but unneeded, Hermione took a breath and stepped into shadow, vanishing as a cluster of blue bolts roared from Harry’s wand, sending a blinding lightshow fit to dazzle any onlooker, even a nascent Dark Lord fighting to rid himself of his greatest nemesis.

He smirked and cast a dark, yellowish charm, and a short chopped scream carried as Hermione tumbled out the air, to crash and roll across the ground, ending up with her side against a half-shattered headstone.

The newest Lord Voldemort lifted his wand, gathering the black lightning from the portal, it streamed faster and faster until a three-foot, spot of roiling eternal darkness floated at his call, “Let us end this, Potter, I have entertaining to do tonight.”

Harry nodded slowly, and blinked a drop of blood out of his right eye, the Sword swirled around his wrist, “Actually, so do I…” Harry looked over to the right where Hermione was sitting, panting, and holding her ribs against a still-standing head stone.

“Too bad, Potter…I believe that I will have a touch more fun than you…Goodbye.” He pulled back his arms, as if preparing to throw the vast ball of power…he froze as a slender sliver blade emerged from his chest, and a sudden spew of blackish blood erupted from his lips. “Wha…” he sputtered as the blade slipped out in another rush of blood.

He looked back and his eyes widened, as he found a head of tousled black hair slowly faded into view, almost hiding glowing green eyes looking back up at him, young hands still tight on the twisted wrap of his sword. Sirius grunted something and pushed the dark lord back with a hard kick, pulling his sword free in a spray of black blood at the even as the youngest Potter collapsed exhaustedly, his hand falling to his side.

Hermione grunted from near the tombstone as her veil that had been hiding her son’s approach faded, and she pushed to her feet, her own blades filling her hands as a renewed vigor filled her bones. She took a step forward, her eyes brightening, “Die,” she said softly and smiled darkly even as the Dark Lord turned at a soft scrape.

Harry exploded across the distance between them, his blade sweeping upward. A thunderous crack of light rent the dark air as the blade bisected the Dark Lord from stern to stem. Two steaming sides, like a rent, split cow stood for perhaps a half second…

A wall of greenish magic roared out, picking up both Potters and tossing them through the air backwards. Harry grunted as his head rapped off a root and his glasses tumbled away, only to have the world to darkness.

A/N: Ok, yep it’s been a while, and honestly this chapter has been written for a long time, as certain folks know…Since I stated this book, my life has done about a 2664 (that’s a 360*7.4) J Hell, we most of use didn’t even have smart phones when we started this trip, so you can image where I’m at these days.

In a bit of self promotion, I have a completely original novel that I’m working on, so watch on certain giant booksellers for it…he he… In regard to that, is there anyone out here that would like to make a cover for it. You won’t make anything off of it, unless you count a free copy of the book, or the ARC.

Harry Potter: Beyond the Looking Glass

1. Prologue: A Bit Later